Zelda's Honor
by DarkFlameWolf
Summary: Ganondorf is imprisoned. The barriers protecting Hyrule have broken down and a new evil from the south emerges threatening all who live. Link, Zelda and others must escape this oncoming menace and find a way to overcome it before all of Hyrule and the rest of the world is lost. Time is running out. Rated M for violence & sexual themes. (In progress)
1. Prologue - Army of One

_Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my fanfic! It is my first one I have ever written and even now I am in the process of figuring out where it'll finally end up when it finally closes out. If anyone has questions and/or comments or even suggestions on what to add to the story in future chapters, please do belt them out in the comments/reviews (whichever). And above all, enjoy the ride! I know I am just writing it!_

- **PROLOGUE – Army of One**

Whispers, whispers…

The youthful man ignored the voices emanating from the one thing he dreaded carrying. It was his burden to bear. In the middle of the night, in the throes of madness and panic-inducing despair, it would whisper to him; it would cajole him into doing unspeakable things. Resolute as ever, he continued his wayward journey across the snow blasted mountains. The wind would whip and tear at his clothes and tatter the satchel he wore on his back like a pack.

In his satchel were many treasures wrought from long-lost civilizations, cunning salesmen and expert craftsmen he had met over the years of his travels. The bag had seen better days and it was covered with the years of the road; its bright sheen now a ruddy brown. The young man did not carry much on his travels but the bare essentials for living; one would definitely call into question why he bothered carrying such superfluous baggage such as the masks contained within the satchel. He would just smile at the innocuous question and walk on.

There was one mask, however, that he refused to place inside the bag along with the others; almost as if he were worried it would corrupt and tarnish the others inside. No. This mask he kept secured to the exterior of the satchel, always facing outward behind him as if in a guardian role; to keep two wary eyes on the road alert for incoming dangers. This mask was no protector, it had two bloodshot eyes that seemed to bore into your soul and entrap you within the depths of anguish, despair and gnashing of teeth. The intricate design flourishing the eyes and multitude of bright colors belied its malevolence residing within. The outer horn protrusions on the side of the mask only enhanced the feeling of doom as the viewer looked at it.

"You are not the master of me!" The young man yelled back at the mask through the billowing winds.

He hacked as snow blew into his mouth, sucking his breath away as he stumbled down into the snow trying to catch some air. His body wracked with the intensity of the convulsion. The whispers caressed his earlobes and massaged his shoulders; they would not leave him alone. He was so close to the place he was seeking, he did not want to falter now. He looked over at the satchel, now lying in the snow after his collapse and saw the mask staring at him from its perch on the bag. It seemed to be watching him.

The man shook his head to clear the clouds brewing inside his mind and gave a crooked smile to the mask, "You have not won yet, my dear friend."

He took the strap half buried in snow and hefted the bag back onto his shoulders once again. He continued up the steep mountainside until he finally reached the top. The slope slide down and gave way to a mass expanse of fertile fields and rivers undulating through the plains; but that was not what drew the man's attention. He took in a deep gasp as his eyes descended upon the object of his search down on the plains below, mere ants to his eyes at this height.

It was an army, one the world had never seen the likes of before. The line of bodies skirted the edges of the slopes where he looked down on the procession in awe and dread. It stretched onward towards the horizon as far as the eye could see; there seemed to be no end to this horde. Even at his great altitude, he could faintly here the roars, cheers and screams of the millions of soldiers making up that grand parasite. Destroying, looting, pillaging, raping and killing. This beast would not stop and would continue onward to sack anything in its path.

The man looked up at the sky in the waning light and saw the heavens alit with a brilliant many stars of light. He charted the course of the heavens and nodded to himself. A few weeks' time and they will be at Hyrule's doorstep. He couldn't see it, but he could feel the mask being able to see what lay before him and the whispers came yet again.

"Why do you resist? You know no one has the power to destroy these fools but me. All you must do is take me in your hands-"

The man dropped the bag with a thud behind him which shut the mask up quickly, "I know what you propose my old friend, but it will not be I who will be wearing you. I know I cannot control you and for that I must decline."

There was rage in the air and the spitting of daggers but it fell on deaf ears. Fury seethed in the emotionless eyes of the mask as it bored holes into the man's psyche. He faced the mask head on and with one swift motion, unclipped it from the satchel and held it up in front of his face.

"You are obedient to no one, death to everyone. You cannot be trusted and cannot be worn. However, there is still time to find the one who can manipulate what you can do for good."

The mask was an impassive façade as it spoke in a menacing whisper, "You know that will not come to pass. All I need is but one host body and your world is nothing but dust! You cannot win, not against me, not against that thing down there you call an army!"

The young man just smiled back at the mask as he gently placed and secured it back to his pack, "I know Majora, but we shall see who truly wins in the end…"


	2. Chapter 1 - The Choice

- **CHAPTER 1 – The Choice**

Link woke up with a start, lightly perspiring as he looked around the courtyard for any perceived threat. After confirming nothing was amiss, he slowly laid back down in the grass placing his hat over his face to block out the rays. Relaxing in the palace courtyard soaking in the sun tended to be one of his favorite past times in recent days.

It had been many months since Link came back from the portal in the Temple of Time to warn Zelda of Ganondorf's treachery. He was initially thought to be an assassin sent to kill Princess Zelda and was immediately detained. It wasn't until Zelda vouched for him did they set him free. The news was brought to the king and although he was initially distrusting, Link's persuasive tale helped sway his opinion. Ganondorf was arrested and tried in court. It was found that he had orders on him from some unknown villains who went by Koume and Kotake to seek and find the royal family's ocarina. With Ganondorf in the Hyrule dungeons and border patrol along the Gerudo pass increased, all things seemed to be at peace.

At eleven years old, Link had seen many amazing things in his young life. He had traveled through time, destroyed a tyrannical dictator with the power of the Goddesses; he had explored a new alternate dimension ruled by masks and an ill-fated town under the shadow of an evil moon. He had long since failed in his objective in finding his dear companion Navi, the first and last fairy he would ever have. Long were the days where he would frolic and run through the forest with his Kokiri friends; spending many hours sleeping up against a protective tree in the pouring rain with his best friend Saria. The journey to recapture his youth was met with failure.

These days Link spent his days residing in the castle with Princess Zelda, his newly appointed friend much to the chagrin of her father (who always kept a watchful eye on her whenever Link was around). Most days Link would feel dejected and confined to the brick and mortar of the castle; the more he slipped out to the inner courtyard gardens, the better. It was some semblance of normalcy in his world that had flipped completely upside down.

Zelda would come to see him daily and would listen raptly to his stories about Gorons, Zoras, fairies, evil moons, giant fish and more. Despite her listening intently to him, he never did quite feel that she ever truly believed him. Gone were the great fairies of the springs he used to visit, gone were the fantastical creatures he would describe. Whenever he was finally allowed to take the princess on a field trip, the places he showed held none of the glamour and charm that had once been. Zelda would simply look at him, smile and give that small giggle that made him blush so. Over it all, at the king's request, a person would always be in the shadows making sure they were safe.

Zelda had gotten it into her head to make a hero out of Link and appealed many times to her father at the good he had done in service of their kingdom by revealing Ganondorf to be the traitor he was. Unable to protest with his daughter's earnest nature, he relented and allowed Link to become an honorary knight in the Hylian guard. At first Link enjoyed the lessons taught to him in swordplay by grandmasters of the art, but the more he delved into his role as a knight the more he realized he was becoming something he was not. He was blending into the normal life of the royal family and he began to loathe it.

The castle was abuzz with preparations for the royal feast that would be held at Lon Lon Ranch the next day for the yearly celebration of the Goddesses and to pray for another fruitful year of harvest. It was a joyous occasion where dignitaries of neighboring lands would attend; the multitude of races from Goron to Zora would send emissaries to the event as a sign of good faith and partnership. Link had never personally been to the festival himself and really wasn't looking forward to it; just another excuse to dress him up in another one of those scratchy outfits that served no purpose but to look ridiculous.

"Link, are you out here?" came a voice from the courtyard entryway.

Link sighed and grimaced under his hat as he heard the voice of Zelda calling for him. He didn't expect to get caught wearing his Kokiri garb with her again. He had only put it on to feel comfortable in his own skin and enjoy the morning sun. The knight's raiment was simply unbearable to wear and made him sweat something fierce. Just prior to his knighting, he had his Kokiri tunic taken from him as it 'wasn't proper' attire befitting a knight of Hyrule, much less of the royal family! He hadn't wanted to let Zelda know he had snuck the clothes back just yet.

Zelda looked over the garden and spotted Link lying down on the grass, apparently content on ignoring her. Seeing what he was wearing, she squinted her eyes a bit in frustration as she marched over to him. Clearly he heard her stomping up to where he lay and he wasn't in the least bit interested in moving from his comfy position. After a small clearing of her throat Link tipped the tip of his cap up with a finger to let one eye fall on her face.

"Link," Zelda mustered with pseudo-upset tones, "I thought we took those clothes away from you. As the youngest knight in Hyrule's history, you should be more thoughtful in how you look! What you do reflects not only on yourself but on-"

"It'll be fine Zelda, no one is seeing me like this but you. It is not like it's a big deal." He let loose his finger and the green cap fell back over his face. After a moment of silence, he realized this was apparently the wrong thing to do.

_**-Break-**_

Link scratched an itch on the underside of his arm, furious at his uncomfortable new clothes. He wore a tight fitting black shirt with two red plaid stripes where the buttons lay. The outer rims of his shoulders had flappy frills of a light grey color with sleeves cut off at the mid-forearm. His belt buckled with a clasp of pure obsidian in sharp contrast to his brown leather belt. He had donned ankle long black pants with a slim opening on the outer side of each leg with more white frills poking through. His boots were of standard Hyrule attire with high reaching sides. He looked dejectedly into the mirror and sighed.

The door to his quarters opened up as Zelda strode into the room with the grace befitting her position. Princess Zelda was the pride of the kingdom and the sole heir to the Hyrule throne. She was beautiful beyond compare even at her young age. To prevent leering eyes from the townsfolk, she was usually heavily, yet regally dressed. She could never go outside or see another boy without putting on her headdress to cover her brilliantly glowing golden hair. She was lithe and petite for someone of her standing, many expressed surprise at how little she was. However her smile was as radiant as the sun and observers claimed she was always calm and collected, traits becoming of their future queen. At the tender age of twelve, she did her duty to fulfill the role laid before her.

She came up behind him and looked past him into the mirror to appreciate his appearance. He glanced over as she rested a hand on his shoulder before looking straight ahead into the mirror heaving a big sigh to emphasize his emotions to her. She simply smiled and shook her head.

"Link, I know you are not comfortable with palace life, neither was I when I was first groomed to be a young lady. All I wanted to do was play with the servant boys and girls out in the fields or help tidy up the horses in their stalls. When I was eight, I had to be taken away from all that. It was hard, but in the end you'll be happy with us here in the castle. Much happier than you were fighting all those monsters and demons out there."

He spun around so fast she withdrew her hand quickly for fear of accidently smacking him.

"Don't you get it Zelda?" Link fumed, "I can't stand it Zelda! I wanted to be that knight of yours in shining armor." Zelda blushed a scarlet shade of red at this, "But I can't. I at first liked the new tutors and teachers and what they were teaching me. Now it's just stifling."

Link walked over to the bed and looked at his vest he was to put on for the festival. It was emblazoned with the royal family's crest on the back and was of a deep mahogany hue. It honestly would have completed the look of his ridiculous outfit. With a surge of anger, he picked it up and threw it across the room, narrowly missing the mirror Zelda was standing by.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed.

"This isn't me Zelda. I belong out in the forests, in the fields, in the mountains. You were right, I am what you called me once: a fairy boy. That is who I am and there is where I belong." In a sudden burst of inspiration, Link's eyes dilated open with excitement, "Come with me Zelda! Let's go travel somewhere! Where is your sense of adventure?"

Zelda looked down in gloom, "Link, I am truly sorry, but this is where I belong. When my father passes away, I pray Goddesses, may it be a long time yet; I must be here to take the crown. I know my responsibilities and my duty. I cannot turn away from my destiny."

Standing there in calm, yet benign defiance, she looked so unabashedly beautiful and regal. Link's breath almost got in his throat at the enormity of the decision that lay before him. It had only been a few short months, but he felt on personal speaking terms with Zelda. A friendship he already cherished dearly.

"Well," Link said with a lump in his throat, "I am turning away from the destiny you are giving me."

Zelda glanced away at a vase of flowers, obviously hurt.

"So I guess this is it." She controlled the quivering in her voice as best she could.

Link closed the distance between them and gently put his hands on her shoulder, she tentatively looked up into his eyes. Such maturity there was in those eyes, dear Goddesses, what trials did this young boy have to endure?

"Zelda, this is not the end but the beginning. I will come back and visit, I just cannot stay. If you won't come with me, then I know someone who will."

Zelda's glare riveted Link in a rush of jealous fury. The change in demeanor shocked even Link for a moment. With an icy tone that was meant to be far less harsh than it came out, "And just who would that be?"

"Malon." Link stammered after a few moments of hesitation.

Looking back on it, Zelda had no idea why she did it. Her hand came up of its own accord and slapped Link across the face leaving a white mark that quickly turned into a deep shade of red. "How dare you mock me with her!"

Link stared at Zelda in shock that she had slapped him for something so benign as Malon. Finally regaining his senses, he scowled at her and through her heavy breathing did Zelda realize with sheer horror at what she had done. It hit her like a thunderbolt; her pupils grew wide with agony at her foolish emotions.

"And just why are you so jealous of Malon? She is just a friend. Are you so afraid of losing me?" Link retorted.

Taken completely off guard, Zelda stood stupefied at the question. Why was she so upset at Malon? What did Link really mean to her? They were just children still, why should he have an effect on her so? The cold stark reality of her error began to sink in, "Link…I'm so sor-"

"You don't have to apologize to me Zelda. I've had enough of this."

"Link!"

Link had already started undressing himself directly in front of her. She was a bit shocked at the scandalous nature of it all, yet she was rooted to the spot unable to look away from the scene unfolding before her eyes. He tore off the regal garments and went to the chair where his Kokiri tunic lay. He jammed it down over his head and brought the belt around and clasped it at his waist. He flung on his boots and plopped the cap onto his head. He truly did look like a boy of the forest. Grabbing his sword and shield off in the corner by his bedside, he strode out towards the chamber door. He opened it and with a slight turn he looked back at Zelda. Was there a sense of regret there in his eyes? Without another word he walked off into another life.

Hearing the soft padding of his footsteps drifting away on the wind, Zelda slumped to the ground in a quivering heap. She wept uncontrollably into her hands. Why does he mean so much to her? She wondered. She barely knew him, why couldn't she get over this? She had just sent away the only thing that mattered most in her life, the one friend she could truly be honest with. Link.

Seeing the melancholic princess weeping horribly, Impa quietly sat next to her as she usually did during these times of despair. Seeing her cry was a hard thing to stand since Zelda only cried two other times in her young life, once after the death of her mother. Impa chose to sit close by in case Zelda needed anything, she already knew the drill.

Impa was Zelda's caretaker, a member of the shadow people that defended the royal family. They were known as the Sheikah. An ancient race which dwindled as time went on; she was one of the few and proud still left. Even sitting there next to Zelda cross-legged, she was an imposing sight to behold. She wore full body battle gear with retractable claw mechanisms attached to each wrist to inflict pain on an opponent. She always fastened a metal baton at her waist near the bottom of her back. The attributes and war-like properties of which were never fully understood by the Hylian guard since she rarely had need to use it. She swept back her graying hair as she gazed down at Zelda who seemed to be finally composing herself.

"He is quite a remarkable boy Zelda, I'm sorry that it had to be like this." Impa soothed.

"It is not his fault, it was mine!" Zelda wailed, "I trivialized our friendship over something so insignificant! I wish I was never a princess! I wish there weren't responsibilities! I just wish I was just a normal girl…like…Malon." Zelda whimpered on the verge of tears again.

With a reprimanding tone, Impa commanded, "You mustn't say such things my princess. Link made his own choice, and he must live with its consequences, and sadly that also includes your feelings as well. I suggest you prepare for the feast tomorrow. All the dignitaries will be there and you must be at your best. Please no more crying, for my sake."

Stifling a sob, Zelda nodded, "Of course Impa. The feast. I had almost forgotten."

Zelda brought herself up off the ground and briefly patted down her dress to remove any dust or dirt still clinging to the fabric. She looked into the mirror and wiped away the tears from her eyes and composed her expression. After a time, she turned towards Impa who was now standing patiently by her side.

"Despite my feelings," Zelda haltingly started, "I am a princess of Hyrule and I shouldn't have let myself go like that. See to my servants that they are well groomed and prepared for the feast tomorrow. I want everyone to be in top form."

With a flourish, Zelda turned and walked through the door and headed off to her quarters. Impa couldn't help but whisper her own thoughts, "Despite my feelings princess, I think you should have let your feelings show more often with that boy."

With that, she delved back into the shadows of the wall and vanished. As of way of the Sheikah in the art of shadows, if you are caught then you are dead.


	3. Chapter 2 - A Moment of Respite

- **CHAPTER 2 – A Moment of Respite**

Link walked out into the bustling market plaza in full Kokiri garb without realizing the effect it would have on the local populace, so deep were his thoughts. When he finally noticed people staring and leering at him, he cursed himself for walking out as he was. He had completely forgotten the words from Zelda and recent counselors who advised the king, there had been recent uprisings within Hyrule; many wanted a stronger central government run by the people and not by a king. There had been riots in the far province of Ordon where the regent there was hanged while many cheered his death. The royal family was not overly liked by the general populace and many recognized him for who he was: royal consort to Princess Zelda.

Link took the hint and quickly dashed through the plaza, upsetting a few chickens in the process. They squawked angrily at him as he brushed past them. Making sure his shield was secure on his back and sword steadfast in its scabbard he kept strapped across his torso, Link entered the shop across the plaza near the town gates. He swung open the door, billowing dust and grime into the store; settling into the corners and crannies of the shelf displays.

Several customers looked up from their browsing at the intruder to their shopping; after a few moments they resumed their business. The shopkeeper barely let out a grunt at the new arrival as he indifferently scratched his hairy chest. Link knew exactly what he was looking for. He snatched it from the dusty shelf and placed it on the counter in front of the owner. The owner took one look at the Deku Nuts placed before him before delivering a quick snort and spit into a nearby spittoon just inches from Link's hand.

Link scrunched his nose in disgust, "Um, sir, how much for these?"

"12 rupees son." The owner replied with a drawl.

Link was near to passing out from the putrid odor emanating from the man in front of him. He quickly pawed through his pockets in his tunic and pulled out the man's requested price; anything to be rid of his presence. Without another word, he stuffed the nuts in the pouch attached to his belt and was well on his way out when the owner called out to him.

"Boy, you know your princess can show her face here anytime she wants. She doesn't have to keep sending her stable boys to do her dirty work for her!" He guffawed at this as he gave a lecherous smile at Link.

Link left the store with a shiver as he continued to head for the town gates. He strode past the guards at the gate as they saluting him. He absently nodded his head as he steered a course for his horse, Epona, who was dutifully tethered and waiting for him just beyond the drawbridge. She had not yet noticed him and was idling nibbling on some tufts of grass peeking through the cobblestones. She sensed movement out of the corner of her eye and pricked her ears in the direction of his footsteps. She quickly raised her head and neighed, slamming her hoofs down at the sight of him. She was always excited when Link came to be with her.

"Hey girl, you miss me?" Link gently patted her neck and soothed her as he always did with kind words. He put one foot in the stirrup and leapt up into the saddle; he really was getting good at horseback riding in the saddle, there was something to be said for those trainers he had at the castle. Epona nickered with joy as he guided her in the direction of Lon Lon Ranch.

Many thoughts swirled around in Link's mind, some stayed for but a moment before being swept away by others. The main thought that kept coming back was Zelda and his last few moments with her. What did Malon ever do to upset Zelda? Why was Zelda jealous of him going to Lon Lon Ranch to go see her? Were they not going to be here tomorrow for the festival? Did she fear losing him? Why?

The sun was just passing its zenith in the azure sky as he came near the ranch. Link hardly noticed the time it took for the journey, so deep was he in thought. That mattered little to Epona, she was simply happy to be with her master, riding free across the wind-swept fields. It wasn't until Link was jolted from his reverie by Epona bucking slightly that he realized he had been staring at the barn of Lon Lon Ranch for several minutes. He shook his head to clear it and leapt off of Epona. She brushed him tenderly with her snout as he petted her face. He tethered her to the nearby post and headed to the inner field racetrack of the ranch.

The racetrack had once been the pride and joy of Talon, the owner of the ranch and father of Malon. In his heyday, there were competitions and tournaments held here as the best horse riders from across the lands converged to prove their dominance with the saddle. He arranged all sorts of events to obstacles, hoops, pots you needed to with shoot arrows to break and many more exciting ideas. There were even years where a Gerudo or two entered, much to the dismay of many a wife of the men attending the tournaments.

With recent turmoil brewing around the country and rumors spreading of an army moving northward from the southern country of Nevachrea, interactions between nations had been precarious at best. Talon ultimately let himself go and both his ranch and his figure started to look it. The entire ranch was in a half-baked tangle of decorations, chairs, tables and bottles strewn about across the grass. Link was about to question if the party had already started a day earlier when he spotted Malon in the pasture.

Malon was the daughter of Talon, the plump owner of Lon Lon Ranch. She was wearing a simple white dress with a blue flourish detailing the upper portion bordering her neck. She was barefoot and calmly brushing a new-bred colt which was to be her next 'project,' much like Epona was before Link claimed her. That was not the most striking thing about Malon however, and something that made Link catch his breath every time he looked at her; she had a brilliant sheen of red hair that draped down to the small of her back. Her cheeks were usually ruddy from the sun exposure being out with the horses every day. Link recalled the piercing blue of her eyes every time she looked at him and smiled. She was the first one to ever call him 'fairy boy' before Zelda picked up the habit.

Her back was to him as she groomed the young colt. The horse nickered at his approach but she did not seem to have noticed the cue. An evil plan formed in his mind as Link grinned at the thought of it. He squatted low in the tall grass and started creeping towards her slowly, making sure not to make a sound. He was just upon her, barely a few feet away when he noticed a slightly floral scent. Link admired her smell for a moment before admonishing himself of the real reason he was here. She bent over to the bucket by her feet and dipped the rough sponge into the water and continued her washing of the colt.

Link rose up and was ready to scare her when Talon cried from the stable, "Malon, it is starting, I want you to come see! Come here quick!"

Link cringed at his plan being foiled until Malon swiveled around and saw him just inches from her face. She screamed throwing up the sponge which smacked Link square on the nose. She tripped on her dress and fell butt first into the bucket drenching both herself and Link's boots. Talon rumbled up to see what the screaming was about and found both laughing hysterically at the prank. He deduced what happened and started laughing himself.

"Good show m'boy!" He assisted Malon up from the bucket and slapped Link on the back making him stumble before recovering. He always had a soft spot for the boy. "I couldn't have done it better myself! I'm sure Malon hasn't had a scare like that since…since…well gosh darn, I really don't know!"

"Father," Malon looked reprovingly at her dad, "that is not funny and you really shouldn't encourage Link like that! What if he did it to you?"

"Nonsense!" Talon huffed, his jowls quivering, "I don't get scared that easily! Anyway, the both of ya, come here. I want you ta see something!"

He marched off towards the barn with Malon and Link in tow. Link looked from her to her father and shook his head. One had to wonder how a man like Talon had such a beautiful daughter such as Malon. Talon's hair was receding and the shine on his head was polished to a blinding glare. The remainder of his hair was tied up in a brown knot at the back of his head; Link gathered she got her hair from her mother. He was a portly fellow with red dungarees and blue pants with suspenders. One of which was dangling off his shoulder, the button it hooked onto long since lost. The overall impression of the man was that of a lazy slob but Link knew better than that.

Malon turned her head slightly towards Link as they walked, "Link, why'd you do that? You ruined a perfectly good dress and on top of that, you could have killed me!" She let out a small chuckle.

"That's the point silly," he stuck his tongue out at her, "besides its just soapy water! Just think of it as getting you ahead of your laundry today."

With a grin, Malon pushed Link back a few feet and dashed off towards her dad. Surprised but not to be outdone, he ran up and pushed her back in return. Within seconds, they were sprawled on the ground, wrestling, giggling and having fun. It wasn't until Talon had to tear the two apart that they obeyed his commands. He stormed off once more to the stable, "I swear you young'uns are too young for that nonsense!"

They reached the barn just as Talon's speech was becoming an unintelligible mumble. He ushered them inside and directed Link to close the door. He did as he was told and they all peered into the musty gloom of the candle lights strewn throughout the barn by rusted nails; Talon was not known for his ingenuity. Link was about to ask the question on why it was so dark when Talon answered his question before he could ask it.

"A horse is giving birth. In my experience, the horses are calmer when it's dark like this."

Link mouthed a big 'oh' as Malon stuck her tongue out at him as if it was common knowledge. He was about to return the favor until Talon shushed them both. He merely pointed to the mother horse, swollen around the belly. Link had never seen a live birth of…anything before. The thought had never crossed his mind that such events were natural in this world. Slowly but surely, a brown patch darker than the rest was protruding from the lower portion of the horse. Link was fascinated and riveted his eyes on the spot that the young foal was coming from. Within minutes, the entire horse was out and very sticky. If Link had not been there, it would have been Malon's job to clean the newly born foal; however Talon gave him a rag and a bucket of warm water.

"Now be gentle, it is still fragile," Talon assured a panicked Link, who didn't look the least bit calm about this whole prospect, "We also don't want to upset the mother in thinking that we might hurt it."

Accustomed to fighting ugly monsters, this task was all but bearable for Link. He gingerly touched the young foal as it tried to stand, albeit unsuccessfully. After several minutes, he felt his job was done and turned towards Malon who had a smug face.

"Nah-uh fairy boy! You missed a spot!" She giggled with childish glee at her joke. Link only scowled while Talon pointed a commanding finger outside.

"Young lady, you will wait outside."

With a huff, Malon stomped out of the stable. Talon assisted Link with the remainder of the clean-up. Link started to feel at peace with himself as he got into the rhythm of brushing down the fur. Even the new horse was getting used to his touch and was quite still and calm, absorbing the new, pleasing sensations.

"Well," exclaimed Talon as he stood up appraising the work, "I guess that's good enough fer your first time. I'll do the touching up. Go outside and I'll be with ya two in a minute."

"Boo!" Link scrambled out of the way of the door as he stepped outside reaching for his sword. Malon was cackling like a mad woman as she buckled over clutching her stomach in the pangs of laughter.

Link sheathed his sword back in its scabbard, "You know I could have stabbed you. Don't scare a knight like that."

After settling down her last twinges of laughter, she managed to sputter out, "Oh yes, the fairy boy, a knight!" Link glared at her mocking. She softened at his expression, "Oh, I'm sorry Link. I apologize. You know I'm just teasing you!"

"Yeah, I know." Link looked down at the ground, a bit shy for a reason he couldn't quite fathom. He fiddled with the dirt on the ground with one of his boots until he noticed Malon right beside him; slightly unnerved, he took a step back and looked at her.

"Link, tell me again, why doesn't Saria or any of the other Sages know what they really are? I mean, you went to the future right? They all realized they were sages of the temples. Why don't they remember that?"

He smiled, "Because that was in the future, this is the past to that future. They have not becomes sages yet, so they don't know that they are sages. Not even Saria. She wouldn't believe it. It would be too big for her to comprehend."

Malon giggled, "Such big words you use! Where did you learn them all?"

"Oh," Link looked away towards the pasture with a despairing look, "from the tutors and teachers at Hyrule castle. I learned a lot, but there are some things I wish I had never learned at all."

She gave a heartfelt look at Link, she thought it was a shame he couldn't see the obvious, "But do you like it there? Is it…a good life?"

He resumed smudging the dirt with his foot, "Not really, it's actually really boring. That and not many people like the royal family right now. It's a bad situation for them at the castle. Zelda tries to hide it but-"

"She still doesn't fully believe your stories, does she?" Malon offered, when she got no response from him she wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders. He stiffened up slightly before warming up to her embrace. She leaned into him and whispered secretly into his ear, "I believe you fairy boy."

Link's eyes widened just as Talon burst out of the stable wiping his hands with a dry towel.

"Good Goddesses you two! I can't leave you alone fer one minute can I? Taking me up so soon on m' offer to marry her young boy?" He bellowed loudly as he laughed at his own joke. Link merely looked away at Epona embarrassed as Malon turned scarlet. After a few moments of silence Talon got the hint, "Ahem, now don't take me too seriously now Link."

He gave Link a stiff eye as he guided Malon towards the house. After a few steps, he stopped as if an idea had just come to him in a spark of inspiration. Without turning around, he offered, "Link, if you are willing, I could use your help finishin' up dinner. Would ya mind coming in and helping? I'll be sure t'fill your belly."

Malon looked back and vigorously shook her head in approval. Link could do nothing but smile.

"Yes, that would be great!" Link said with a sheepish grin as Malon gave him a thumbs up under her arm that was in Talon's grip.

Both Talon and Malon entered the house as they left Link outside to tend to his horse and supply her feed for the evening. It was clear he was staying the night at Lon Lon Ranch and he was giddy with the prospect of it; although he couldn't pinpoint why. As Epona nuzzled him as he poured some fresh hay into her stall he looked up at clouds promenading above him. The sun was just starting to set on the horizon and radiant hues of orange and gold dazzled across the sky. He shut his eyes and felt the cool breeze kiss his cheeks, breathing in deep the musky scents of horse hair, dung, hay, and the freedom of the outdoors.

Yes, he thought, this is where I belong.


	4. Chapter 3 - The Messenger

- **CHAPTER 3 – The Messenger**

He belched loudly after what was most certainly a most delicious meal; chicken and dumpling stew with creamy mashed potatoes with fried gravy on the side. It was one of the best home cooked meals he had had in quite a while. Link was offered to be head cook and helped stir the potatoes in the pot. Talon, obviously, had finished the majority of the stew but would swear that no one could do excellent potatoes except his dear Malon. Taking the challenge, Link leapt to the iron cast stove and started stirring the mashed taters with renewed vigor. They didn't turn out half bad.

Malon giggled while Talon frowned at the belch, "Hmm, I should think they taught ya better than that in the palace Link."

"Excuse me," Link offered, placing a hand to his mouth as if in supplication, "it was all just so good!"

With a grunt of acceptance, Talon stood up and swept the dishes and cutlery off the table, "Malon, please go upstairs and get ready fer bed. Link, if ya could help me with cleanin' up?"

They walked the dishes over to the wash basin on the far end of the living room and knelt down on the wooden boards. They creaked under Talon's weight and bore the brunt of many years of service; already cracking, the intricate details of the wood itself were worn off with the multitude of boots that had walked across them. Talon pulled to himself a bucket and filled it with soapy water and gave a rag to Link for drying off whatever he had cleaned.

"I hear things aren't going so well at the castle son?" Talon said in a soft voice after a while.

Link swallowed a lump in his throat at having to face this conversation yet again, "Yes sir, that's correct." He did not meet Talon's eyes but kept them rapt on the dishes he was drying off for him; he could tell Talon was still looking at him through the corner of his eyes.

"I see. Malon told me about it before dinner. I'm sorry it didn't work out for ya. You can stay here fer for a time if you'd like," upon seeing a look of excitement on Link's face, "but don't get any ideas now! You'll be sleeping down here by the fireplace!"

Link's enthusiasm was slightly deflated at this prospect. Sleeping in the hay out in the stable next to Epona would be far superior (not to mention more comfortable) than being wrapped in a blanket on the floor next to the fireplace. Talon could see the effect his words had on the boy and he softened visibly.

"We'll make a good farmhand out of you yet boy!" clapping a firm hand on Link's back, if he were drying off a plate in his hands at that moment, it would most assuredly have been flying by now, "If you prove your keep, we just might make an additional bed downstairs fer ya."

Link seemed visibly agreeable to this notion. Talon was no dummy and he knew something was blossoming between Link and his daughter; you would have to be blind not to see it. Both being eleven however, he knew that they were far too young to do anything serious but he wanted to belay that inevitable event for as long as possible. There was no need to rush the children into something they weren't emotionally prepared for.

With the dishes and cutlery dried and cleaned, Link got up and assisted Talon since he was having some trouble getting back to his feet. He was not as spry as he used to be in his younger days. He opened up the armoire resting in the corner and pulled out some blankets for the boy and started settling them down by the fireplace. Malon had just started coming down the stairs in an ankle length nightie when there was a knock on the door.

"Who in blazes is knockin' this late at night?" With a groan, Talon hauled himself back up off the floor and strode over to the door and opened it.

Link registered the surprise on Talon's face at the visitor; it was clearly not someone he expected. A Sheikah stepped into the room unbidden and after a few paces stopped just inside the room. After surveying the room briefly, she turned to Talon and began whispering in urgent, hushed tones. Link tip-toed closer as he strained to hear the conversation while Malon nervously looked on from the bottom of the stairs. He only managed to catch various pieces of information but none made any sense.

"Uh huh…I figured as much," Talon nodded his head at the news, "thank you for the news, I will keep them safe."

With a curt motion of the head, the Sheikah gave one brief glance at Link and then proceeded out the door into the night. It had all happened so quickly that he wasn't sure if it had even happened at all! Talon slowly shut the door behind him and stood there for a brief few moments thinking silently to himself. At last, he turned around and gave a look of despair on his face.

"Malon dear, I don't think this is a safe place anymore. We must seek refuge at Hyrule Castle."

"But why?" Malon was beginning to get distraught; she had never seen her father this visibly worried before.

"Dun' argue! Get upstairs, get dressed fer th'road." Talon's speech becoming slightly unintelligible in his rising worry.

"At night? It is already dark!" A whine was creeping into her voice at the prospect.

With a commanding finger back up to her room, "GO!"

Malon, on the verge of tears, rushed upstairs into her room, leaving the door slightly ajar. It was clear to Link that the Sheikah was here to warn them and possibly others who lived on these plains of some impending danger. Talon lumbered over to Link and had them both sit down and for the first time in Link's life, he saw a look of misery on the jolly man's face.

"Link," Talon started in a low voice, making sure he had eye contact with the boy, "I think ya should get Epona and also come with us. I doubt even you can handle this threat, despite the tales I've heard ya say to Malon."

Link paused, just what had Malon been telling her father? "What threat?"

"Nevachrea. Its army is headed right fer us and it will not stop." Talon did little to dumb it down for Link; despite what he considered 'tall tales' Malon said she heard from Link, he never doubted the boy's capability with the sword. Link was experienced in a way few eleven year olds were, Talon wanted to grieve for the boy having to grow up so fast.

Link was dazed with the impact of the news. He had only just recently learned what the word 'army' was and now knew its dreadful capabilities. Something with the size of that magnitude, he knew deep within that he could not fight something like that off himself. He honestly doubted that Hyrule was ready for such an army either. Unless something was done here and now or previous preparations had been made, Hyrule would surely fall. Link knew this since he had watched the soldiers train every day, they were not battle ready.

"Does the king know about this Talon?" Link croaked; swallowing the bug seemingly caught in his throat.

"Of course he does." Talon sighed, "Why do ya think he was preparin' a feast fer all the land's dignitaries, emissaries and such? It was a ruse fer its real purpose, to warn them of the coming threat and form national ties of support to assist each other in standin' together against Nevachrea. I had only found out a day or so ago," he gestured out towards the pasture at the haphazard mess still strewn across his ranch, "that isn't wasn't happenin'. Nevachrea moved too soon, we have not secured the necessary alliances with other nations fer national defense yet."

Link looked off into the fire now starting to gather energy after having bit lit just prior to dinner, "Tell me about Nevachrea, why are they waging war now? What's the point? What did we ever do to them?"

Talon sighed deeply and looked at Link. Crossing his arms, he stared off at nothing in particular as he recounted what he knew, "From my recollectin' it began a long time ago. The country of Nevachrea was an essential line of trade fer Hyrule. I won't get into specifics because I don't know 'em. Let's just say our king at that time wasn't the smartest puppy in the litter."

Link chuckled at this, after a swift glance of admonition from Talon, Link continued to listen intently. "Hyrule was the main supplier of crops, materials and fabrics fer Nevachrea. They couldn't have risen as a new nation without our help. Fer whatever reason, the king decided to cut ties with Nevachrea and leave them to their fate; it effectively crushed them as a country. It was also a declaration of war, even if it wasn't publicly stated. All people, I suspect, born in that country have an innate hatred towards us ever since."

"Not too long ago," Talon continued, "probably right before you were born, Nevachrea staged an assault on Hyrule. It was terrible; many people died durin' that conflict. Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudos, is to thank for placing a barricade on our southern border." He pressed on despite the look of shock on Link's face, "Indeed, thanks to him and the rest of the Gerudo, they erected a magical barrier using whateva' witchcraft they possess to keep Nevachrea at bay. Knowing Ganondorf is a traitor now an' all, I reckon him languishing in prison has something to do with it."

Link had a sneaking suspicion as well that Ganondorf residing in dungeons of Hyrule Castle may not have been the best idea in protecting Hyrule from the new threat that now faced it.

Link made an involuntary jerk at Talon's next words, "The Sheikah just now told me that they are already at the border of the Lost Woods and she is going to evacuate as many of the Kokiri as she can. I also believe-"

This was clearly the wrong thing to say and Talon knew it as soon as he noticed the expression of horror on Link's face. It was immediately masked with a look of grim determination as Link swiftly flew out the door towards Epona. He untethered her and hoisted himself into the saddle. Rattled at this sudden change in plans, Epona stomped the ground nervously as she wondered what her master had in store. She did not argue when he gave a swift kick to the sides and launched into a gallop.

Talon ran out of the house yelling for Link to stop, but it was far too late. He saw the boy round the bend and was gone from the ranch. As the clop of hooves faded off into the night, Malon rushed down the stairs and to her father's side. She was wearing a light travel shirt and leather breeches; she had yet to put her boots on.

"Father," she said in a worried tone, "Where has Link gone?"

Talon hung his head and suppressed a tear as looked despairingly at Malon.

"Malon honey, I'm afraid Link may be a goner."

_**-Break-**_

Impa stepped out of the shadows and tapped Zelda on the shoulder as she walked past. After a stifled scream, Zelda quickly composed herself and elegantly faced Impa.

"Yes? I don't mean to be rude Impa, but I've got things to attend to." It came out a bit ruder than she had intended. She winced slightly at her own words.

Impa scowled, "Any my main priority is for your safety. Frankly, I don't believe it is assured anymore with you staying here. I am tasked by the king to take you somewhere safe."

Zelda gave a lilting laugh before she spoke, "And what is there that doesn't ensure my safety? We are behind legions of well-trained soldiers and two castle walls as well as numerous Sheikahs. What could possibly be a threat to my safety?"

Impa violently shook her head, "Will you drop your regal attitude princess! Surely you might have gathered by now that the Royal Feast at Lon Lon Ranch has been cancelled. You were there at the meeting today with the king! A war is about to erupt between Hyrule and Nevachrea and our attempt to establish war allies has failed."

Zelda gaze was indifferent; her mind had been mostly on Link during that meeting, the news hadn't sinked in, "Nevachrea, yes I've heard father talking about that during the council meeting. But isn't it simply supposed to be a small peasant country? I should think it hardly a threat at all."

Impa understood that the princess was young and not all things were yet understood by her. She struggled to find a way to get the princess to understand their predicament. As future queen of Hyrule, she needed to understand the nature of politics and of war. She held Zelda by the shoulders and briefly shook her which made her uncomfortable at Impa's touch.

"Zelda," Impa exasperated, "They already have the winning advantage by moving first and their army is already poised just south of the Lost Woods. They might be even burning it down to the ground as we speak!"

Zelda's demeanor changed in a heartbeat, a look of pure terror permeated her face, "But…what of the Kokiri? Of Saria and all them?"

Impa looked down at her feet in sorrow, "At this rate, I'm afraid there is nothing we can do for them. We were not warned in time. No one truly knows what will happen if the Kokiri leave the forest; maybe they will die or maybe they will start aging like the rest of us. I haven't a clue. What I do know is that we do not have the resources to get there in time and stop an army that big. I've already sent several riders to the nearby provinces to help in the evacuations."

Zelda absently picked at her dress, unsure of what all she could do. As princess of her kingdom, she felt obligated to make decisions. She looked up hopefully at Impa, "Maybe if we gather all the soldiers and all the people in Hyrule to fight back against this army? We can win and stand our ground!" She pressed further upon seeing the rebuttal on Impa's lips, "Besides, exactly how big is this army? Can we not stand up to them?"

Impa shut her mouth and turned away, pressed her hand against the cold marble wall as she stared at the ground. She contemplated on whether she should tell Zelda the truth. Her response was just what was expected from someone her age; she couldn't comprehend the gravity of the situation. She had to put it into terms Zelda would understand, it was the only merciful thing to do. Impa looked at the marble she was touching and pondered how fragile everything was; even this seemingly impenetrable castle would most likely be nothing but ashes and dust within weeks. Nothing lasts.

Pushing away from the wall, Impa turned to look at Zelda, "Princess, my last scout reported this: The army is as far as the eye can see in every direction. They move slowly each day, but after several months of waiting, there still is no end in sight to this massive army. We even sent scouts to sneak around the mass to scope out the tail end. They haven't returned yet, be it they were killed or have yet to reach the source of the army is unclear. That was over a year ago."

Zelda gasped, "My Goddesses that is impossible! How could one build such a huge army like that? How would you feed them all? Cloth them all? Entertain them all? Supply them all? It's an impossible task!"

"I don't know princess," Impa intoned, "but we must evacuate the castle and ultimately Hyrule itself. We can no longer stay here."

She slowly guided the dumbstruck Zelda down the corridor towards her living quarters when Zelda remembered something critically important, "The Master Sword! If we leave, we will be opening up the doors right to the enemy! They will claim the sword as theirs! We must stop them!"

Impa stopped dead still in the corridor and took Zelda by the shoulders, "We cannot do anything, that's a risk we must take. The seal on the Temple of Time is great and there are many fail safes at work in that structure. We must trust to them that they will hold until we can come back and win against this foe." She reached into the folds of her armor and revealed the ocarina that was one of the treasures of the royal family, "Besides I have this, they will not be getting far without it."

Zelda looked sheepishly at the ocarina, "How did you get that? I thought they have it locked in the castle vaults?"

Impa clucked, "I am Sheikah; I go where I please and do what I please; as long as it does not endanger you or the king. It is our gifts that enable us to do things normal Hylians cannot. I knew it wouldn't be safe here in the castle, so I took the initiative to move it elsewhere."

Suddenly another Sheikah emerged from the pervasive shadows and startled Zelda.

"Why must you always do that?" Zelda rebuked the new Sheikah.

The Sheikah simply stared at Zelda briefly before turning to Impa relaying a message in harsh whispers. Impa's eyes widened slightly at the news before nodding her confirmation.

Impa turned to Zelda, "Princess, please return to your quarters and pack your travel clothes. Be sure to stop by the kitchens and pick up food for the journey. I do not know how far we will have to travel, but we must be prepared." After a curt nod from Zelda, she continued, "Once you are finished, meet me at the castle stables and we shall be on our way."

"What about father?" Zelda questioned.

"He will be safe, he is in the care of another Sheikah and they are evacuating him as we speak. Go now, do not delay!"

With a hand motion to see Zelda off, both Sheikah ran down the hall; they quickly melded into the shadows and were gone. Zelda stood looking down the corridor for a time before an idea popped into her head. She didn't quite understand why she would think such a crazy thought at that moment. It didn't make any sense, yet it brought everything into perspective.

Link's stories! He came back to stop Ganondorf from getting his hands on the Triforce, and with him now in the dungeons, it had come to pass. Did they just change the outcome of the future? Is Nevachrea now a threat because Ganondorf is not? Could Link's stories truly be real? Zelda had a tough time believing everything he said, but it all seemed to make sense! Without a further thought, she spun on her heel and headed for the dungeons. She needed to know something and Ganondorf himself would be the only one who knew the answer!


	5. Chapter 4 - Fall of the Kokiri

_Thanks so much for sticking with me so far. This chapter can be quite graphic and has quite a few themes hinted at, including rape. This was not an easy chapter to write. Nobody wants to see this happen. But I needed something shocking and horrific to introduce the new villain and his lackeys. On top of that, I wanted to paint such a vivid picture of who they are, and what they are capable of. I want you to hate them. Yes, I will be fleshing them out in later chapters, but I need to get the worst of who they are up front. For the squeamish, I recommend caution when reading this chapter! Enjoy the ride!_

- **CHAPTER 4 – The Fall of the Kokiri**

The screams were deafening, the chaos absolute. The raging pyres rose higher with each successive tree that was scorched and burnt to the ground. The screeching cries of the Kokiri fell on deaf ears as some were butchered on the spot while others were captured as potential prisoners and spoils of war. Some of the female Kokiri vomited in nauseating disgust at seeing the ugly, brutish men do unspeakable things to their friends; screaming in terror when they did those same things to them.

Homes were destroyed and various Deku Tree sprouts were hacked to pieces. There was only one tree that refused to be cut down or burned; the great Deku Tree; even in petrified death, it resisted even the most persistent pillager. It did nothing but stand ominously over the destruction of its home, its world, its children.

In the center of the whirlwind of death, blood and pain was General Naar. Standing nearby were three of his most loyal and trusted men: Talamir, Thanan and Timner. Naar looked around in indifference at the burning village. He spied a drawing scrawled on a nearby tree at its base of a small kid battling a monster, but gave it little thought. A Kokiri fell from the treetops above with an arrow through its throat; the body slammed into the ground just feet away from Naar's boot. In obvious disgust at the pitiful corpse, he sneered and kicked the body away as two attendants emerged from the din and quickly rushed in to wipe his boots to keep them clean.

Naar pointed at Thanan and commanded, "Why are all these imbeciles' children? Are there not any parents or adults here? Where are the men?"

Of the three, only Thanan stood up to Naar's imposing figure and demanding words.

"My lord," he bowed low in deference to his commander, "according to our sources, these are the Kokiri of the Lost Woods. It is heard that they can never grow old and stay just the way they are unless they leave the forest. We've killed many, but there are dozens more that are being taken prisoner. There are six over there."

Thanan pointed to a nearby copse where four Kokiri girls and two Kokiri boys were beaten and bruised. Locked in chains and with wide eyes glancing wildly around at the mad terror that surrounded them; they were absolutely wretched looking. The shock of seeing their houses burning and their friends slaughtered had not fully dissipated from their minds; they had no tears yet to cry.

"My lord," Thanan insisted, "what shall we do with them?"

"They don't age you say?" Naar licked his chapped lips as he slowly walked over to the pitiful looking group, enjoying the looks of sheer horror on their faces as each boot step crunched on dried grass; each step a collective wince amongst the Kokiri.

He was quite the imposing figure. Billowing winds from the raging fires swept his white flowing hair around him. He loved to keep it long; in Nevachrea, the longer your hair, the more power and wealth it was assumed you had. He worked a black girdle around his inner tunic which was grey; on top of it was articulate armor that reflected the lights from the nearby fires. It was not full bodied but covered several key areas which allowed freedom of movement should the need arise for speed. He wore black gloves with metal knuckles that were not just for show, for they looked worn and used. He sported a majestic, jet black cape that was crimson red on its inner folds. He did not seem to be carrying any weapon at his waist and appeared defenseless; despite this lack, one would not misinterpret his inherent lethality.

Naar scratched absently at his beard as his forest green eyes pierced the very souls of the Kokiri as they huddled ever closer as if to protect themselves from his terrifying gaze. Suddenly, an evil grin spread across his face as he let out a laugh that startled the Kokiri.

He turned to Thanan, "Take the girls and toss them to the troops. I'm sure they'd love some unique entertainment right now."

Thanan returned his smirk. Talamir and Timner were a bit shaken, neither man liked the prospect of utilizing the children like that, but they remained silent.

"What of the boys," Thanan pushed, "you did not say their fate."

Naar ignored the quivering Kokiri by his feet and looked over the devastation of the forest before sniffing the acrid air and responding, "Drag them out into the forest and kill them. I don't care how, as long as it's long and painful."

With a wicked grin, Thanan signaled two other soldiers and grabbed both Kokiri boys by the hair and started dragging them out of the copse kicking and screaming. They were out of sight but the girls could only imagine what was happening as their screams died abruptly only to be renewed with horrible clarity. Talamir and Timner started grasping the hairs of the girls and began dragging them away when Naar spotted one specifically.

"Halt!" He raised his hand; both Talamir and Timner let their prizes drop. Naar pointed to the tallest one of the bunch with sparkling green hair. It had now faded and was covered in caked ash and blood. On her neck she wore a beautiful medallion which scintillated a deep green hue in the fading light. "That one," Naar sneered, "I will take with me to my tent tonight!"

Naar stepped closer and stooped down on one knee to look at her more clearly. He placed a hand on her chin, marking its features as he moved her face from side to side. He moved on to her hair, feeling its softness through his fingers. He briefly shut his eyes and shuddered with a deep inner need, an urge that he hadn't felt in a long time. He moved down to her shoulders when he became unnerved as a bright light shoved itself in his face. He rose up roaring in rage as the bright light pricked and prodded his face with the effect of a hundred tiny daggers.

With unnatural speed, Naar grasped the shining light in his hand and began squeezing. The light started to flicker and fade as it revealed itself to be a small fairy. Angry at this impudent assault, he began crushing the life out of the fairy. He paused as the girl beneath him began crying out in pain. She was writhing on the ground as he continued to squeeze the life out of the little fairy.

"Ah…so you two are connected." He looked around and finally noticed other Kokiri with similar bright lights hovering nearby. He had not noticed them with the light from the fires. "So each one of you have your own personal fairy; now that is interesting."

He signaled to a nearby soldier to grab him a leather pouch to which he unceremoniously dumped the fairy inside and drew the drawstring tight.

"Now I have leverage on you girl. You try to resist me in any way and your fairy will die." She simply looked away in contempt at his threat, "Oh yes," Naar laughed, "you'll do. I won't hurt you…not yet anyway."

An arrow zipped through the carnage and plowed itself into Naar's right shoulder. He snarled with agonizing pain and snapped in the direction from which the arrow had come. A young boy in plain green clothes was prancing through his men on a red-coated mare. Upon closer look, he also noticed the boy had a bow and arrow! He snapped the end of the arrow shaft off and casted it into the brush.

"Get that boy!" Naar bellowed, "Dead or alive, I don't care! Just bring me his head!"

Out of nowhere, two horses appeared from the mists as if summoned by magic; Talamir and Timner jumped onto the horses and galloped towards the boy. The boy veered off from his intended course, slashing his sword right through the face of a nearby grunt. Blood spurted in a wide arc as he made his way straight for the small group of Kokiri girls. Naar saw the change in plans and moved to intercept him.

Link had been meaning to catch them all, but only one held onto his hand strong enough. It was the green haired girl that he hoisted behind himself on the mare. Naar quickly summoned a scimitar from the thin air and made to slash the legs of the horse clean through. Seeing the threat, Link galvanized Epona into a towering leap over the stroke; Link slashed downward in return and clipped Naar's cheek forcing him to recoil backwards with the pain.

Link brought Epona back around and was going to go for another pass. He instigated another leap but Naar caught onto this tactic and swung in a higher arc. Blood flared and sparkled in the air as he nicked the horse in its hind leg; a painful whiney issued from the horse, but it landed and kept going. Naar swore a curse and pointed at his men who were just reaching the scene, "Talamir! Timner! Don't let him get away. I want both their heads!"

Naar turned on his foot as his two servants galloped off in dogged pursuit of the green-clothed boy. He walked back and looked down on the three Kokiri girls who were left behind. He chose one at random by the hair and began dragging her away kicking and screaming.

**-Break-**

Epona galloped at a decent clip, but her max speed was severely hindered by her bleeding hind leg. If not treated fast, she would eventually bleed to death. Saria started to awaken from her stupor and realized with shocking clarity what had happened and grabbed Link by the shoulders, "Link! We must go back and save the other Kokiri! They're killing them all!"

"Saria, I tried to save the other girls along with you, but only you held on." Link anguished over the despair his friend felt, "If I had chanced another pass, neither of us would have escaped. I tried to save them all, but only you held on. I'm sorry. Who was that man?"

She put her arms around his waist and buried her face into his back, ignoring the pain bolting through her face as she pressed the blood-clotted bruises sprawled across her face into his tunic.

"I don't know," Saria sobbed, "I really don't know. Many of the other men looked up to him, but that's all I know!" She gripped his waist even harder, causing him to shift in the saddle slightly to make it more comfortable, "Oh Link, you can't believe what they are doing to the forest. To the other Kokiri! You can't believe what they were going to do to me, what they are doing to the other Kokiri girls right now! Sora! That man has my fairy!"

Link cringed to see his best friend in such horrible misery. He had a vague idea of what happens between a man and a woman but not any specific details on what actually occurs. He could surmise the worst of it though and it made him angry. He was about to console her when an arrow zipped by his ear. Looking back, he saw two riders on jet black horses galloping towards him.

"Sorry Saria," Link yelled back through wind buffeting them both, "but hold on tight. I'm going to try to shake them off our tail!"

He swerved Epona left and into a thicker conglomeration of trees. It hadn't been touched by the army, but he could see the burning fires dimly through the crowded trunks. He could faintly hear the screams of the Kokiri and almost wanted to cry. An arrow thunked hard into a tree on his left as he swerved right. It was getting darker and darker; finding a clear path for Epona was difficult in the invading gloom. Another arrow flew past his right cheek, clipping his ear. The stinging was replaced with numbness as he felt a slow dribble of warmth run down his neck.

He saw a patch of bushes that looked decent enough for a hiding spot; he swerved Epona away from it to divert attention to the inconspicuous spot and trailed the two riders in a half circle through the trees. Arrows were whistling through the air as each rider knocked another to their bows. Just as he was coming up on the patch of shrubbery, Epona tripped on something rock solid and went flying as Link and Saria flew into the brush. A whining cry erupted from Epona as she landed with a bone-crunching jolt. Blood gushed from her two front legs as she tried in vain to stand up; she fell back down on her wounds, opening them up even more forcing panicked cries from the mare.

Link regained consciousness first and realized a branch was sticking very hard into his back. He rolled over and saw Saria passed out cold next to him; branches and twigs stuck to her clothes and hair. Link desperately searched to find what made them crash and found a sleeping Goron hidden in the brush. He prodded it with the pommel of his sword before its head zipped up. It was about to get up to talk to Link when he shushed it to stay down. It turned to him with a lazy look in its eyes.

"Oh hullo there, you must be the legendary Link, the Dodongo buster. I would recognize your outfit anywhere. Am I correct?"

Link hurriedly said, "Yes."

"Oh good!" the Goron drawled, "I was just coming to visit; I heard so many things about you. I wanted to see where you were born and-"

"That's not important right now!" Link hissed, "The Lost Woods is burning down, the Kokiri are being slaughtered and my horse tripped over you and is now in grave pain!"

Saria finally sidled up to Link's side, clearly recovered from the ejection off Epona. She was staring at the Goron with obvious interest. It was a creature made seemingly of pure rock but had an organic look to it. Its backside was covered in scales of plated rock which provided defense and support when they rolled across the ground. The only places of real vulnerability were its face, stomach and the undersides of its arms.

Link continued, "There are two riders coming this direction and they will kill my horse and capture us. Finding you was a stroke of luck." Link paused to gauge whether this was really true or not, glancing briefly at his struggling horse, "Their arrows can't harm you, neither can their swords. You're made of mostly stone and rock!"

The Goron was about to protest that statement when Link crouched low; Saria follow his gesture when the riders strode up leisurely looking down upon Epona's wretched body.

"So what do you think we should do with it?" questioned Timner.

"Who cares?" Talamir scoffed, "Just kill it and find the boy and girl."

After a laugh, "Well, you always did have the better sense of judgment Talamir."

At this, both of them laughed. One raised his sword for the lethal blow when the Goron reared up and smacked the black haired one to the ground and snapped the neck of the horse that the other was on.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Timner exclaimed as he hit the ground rolling.

In a flash, a sword was in his hand and he was preparing to strike the Goron across its neck to behead it. Within seconds a big stone fist plowed into his face with the force of a piston Timner crumpled to the ground, his face completely caved in. Blood was spurting out of the orifices in his face as he rolled over in the grass motionless. As Talamir lay unconscious on the ground, the Goron stomped on his spine with an audible crack. As both men lay dead, Link shook the Goron's hand in thanks.

"Thank you again," Link said with obvious relief, "but I advise you to get out of here quickly. You may have beaten these two men, but there is no way you can beat an entire army by yourself. Leave here and find a safe place to hide far away from Hyrule."

The Goron nodded, "Very well, I will warn my kinsmen in the mountains. I will see you in another life Link, Dodongo buster!"

Much to the surprise and fascination of Saria, the Goron tucked himself into a ball and rolled off into the distance as she curiously looked on. As the crashing of foliage started fading in the distance, Link turned to Saria to see her brimming with tears. He swept her up in a hug; she readily returned the favor. The only matter now was getting out of here themselves.

A low moan jolted the two of them out of their quiet moment. Link looked in abject disbelief as he slowly watched Timner's face slowly expand outward to its original form with a sickening squish. More groaning followed by several cracks from his spine, Talamir started aligning himself properly to stand. It was unbelievable, the Goron had killed these two men outright, yet here they were reshaping themselves as if nothing had happened. Their glazed eyes were filling in with color once more.

Talamir had not fully straightened his spine and was leaning onto the nearby tree for support. He croaked, "You and your friend will regret that…Link, Dodongo buster!"

Stunned, Link realized they were awake during the entire conversation with the Goron. This was a situation he was quite unprepared for; how could you kill someone if they kept coming back? Link cast a desperate look at Epona who was wildly snorting and still trying to get up. But the pools of blood around her were too thick.

Too thick…


	6. Chapter 5 - Smoke and Mirrors

- **CHAPTER 5 – Smoke and Mirrors**

Princess Zelda wasn't exactly sure what she was going to ask when she reached his cell. She had never been to the actual prison before; it wasn't something she had a need to do. She had known her father going down once or twice to speak with the man but really thought nothing of it. Every time he left, however, he would always appear haggard and weary; almost as if his visit to the prisoner would suck the very life out of him. Granted, the prospect of her going down there herself wasn't all that appealing either. Would she leave looking that way too? What exactly went on during those visits?

She hadn't realized she was simply staring down the staircase leading to the dungeons until a quick sputter from a nearby candle interrupted her thoughts. Calming the beating of her heart, she picked the candleholder off of its perch on the wall and took the first tentative step down the stairs. She noticed how little the light truly illuminated the staircase as she headed downward into the depths of her own castle.

The spitting of the candle grew less the further she descended, as if the very air was stagnant and still; no wind from the outside world reached these catacombs. The thought crossed her mind, were these not catacombs of a sort? Except they placed living people in them to slowly die for crimes they had committed. She wasn't even sure they had ever released any prisoners during her lifetime. Did they all rot down here?

She turned the corner of the hallways and looked down the passage; she had no idea why, but she knew it was the right one. A chill of dread came from one of the cells on the far end. She swallowed hard but was rooted to the spot. A low moan of pain issued from the cell to her left, but it was not her target. She ignored the sound but was still stuck in place. Why couldn't she gather the courage to face him? She was already within breaths of his cell!

"It is rude to visit someone without showing your face princess."

Zelda squealed slightly at the sudden voice slinking out of the far cell. She hadn't expected it to sound so deep. She never did get to meet him face-to-face and talk; she didn't even know what he sounded like. With a heavy shudder, she slowly padded down the hall; not knowing she was trying to be as quiet as possible for no real reason. She got to his cell at the end and turned towards it.

He was a hulking brute of a man; even in the dark shadows unlit by the candle she could see that. He was merely sitting on the bench attached to the brick wall of his cell. He was leaning over with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped and chin rested on them. He didn't bother to look in her direction at all.

The most noticeable thing about Ganondorf besides his imposing figure was the tone of his skin; it was unlike any Hylian she knew. It was a dark sheen which was a sickly green in the light of the flame. He was no longer wearing the robust armor of blacks, reds and golds emblazoned with intricate Gerudo design. They had stripped him of that and replaced it with sack cloth shirt and pants; it did nothing to hide his menace however. The only thing left that wasn't taken from him was the diadem encrusted on his forehead. It was a royal ruby of brilliant crimson that shimmered even in the dim light of the candle; surrounding it was a vessel intricately carved into his forehead and trailed off into the hairline. Zelda was a bit nauseated at the thought of having something like that permanently attached to your head; unable to be removed without significant pain or scarring.

Zelda jumped a little as Ganondorf mocked, "So what do I owe this most treasured pleasure of a visit from the esteemed Princess Zelda?"

"How did you know it was me?" Squeaked Zelda before quickly getting her voice under control.

Ganondorf ignored the question, "I presume there must have been some reason you came down here to see me."

Zelda was unnerved, Ganondorf was stock still. He had not moved a single muscle. It was as if she was talking to a statue and it distressed her greatly. She could not tell what he was feeling and could not pick up on any nonverbal cues.

"Yes," she paused, wondering how much she should tell him before the ultimate question, "when we stopped you from stealing the royal family treasure; I think we might have changed the future."

Zelda waited a few beats, when there was no response from the cell she continued, "It seems a powerful army from the southern country of Nevachrea is coming. Would putting you in jail have something to do with that?"

Zelda was not sure if she had heard right at first, so low were his chuckles. Within seconds, the laughter boomed out of the man as he threw his head back in apparent glee. She jumped back away from the cell as the candle angrily wavered at the sudden movement. It was a good long minute before Ganondorf was able to control his laughter. He stood up and faced Zelda. Good Goddesses he was huge!

"My dear princess," he said, containing his mirth well, "it would have been easier to have dealt with the Gerudo than with what you face now."

"Why are they attacking now?" Zelda almost pleaded wanting to know the answers, "What stopped them before?"

"Me."

Zelda blinked for a few moments, she didn't quite understand his statement.

"Just you?" she said incredulously.

"Hmph," Ganondorf huffed, "how little you know. Your grandfather long ago made a deal with my people in exchange to end the war with Nevachrea many years ago. We utilized our magic to form a protective barrier around that entire country, sealing them in to keep them at bay. Without me as the pivot point of the spell, that protection is lost."

It all started to make some sense, "But you deserved to be down here. You showed a lack of good faith by deceiving us to your real purpose here." Zelda accused.

"My reasons are my own," Ganondorf said impassively, sending a shiver down Zelda's spine at the emotionless droning, "I do no need to explain my purpose to a young child who knows little of the ways of this world."

"Ganondorf," Zelda tried to sound regal and firm, "you know we can let you rot in here."

Zelda screamed and leaped backwards to the far wall of the passage; within moments, Ganondorf had closed the distance to the cell bars and slammed against them causing a racket that could be heard down the prison. An accusing finger thrust out between the bars pointing directly at her.

"What you do not realize princess," he said with malice, "I choose to stay in this cell. I can leave at any time I wish."

Zelda was dubious as his hand withdrew back between the bars and he slumped himself back down onto the bench. He resumed his original position and placed his chin back on his clasped hands. She was not sure if she had heard him right or if he was simply bluffing. She stepped up to the bars again and went to speak when he softly spoke just above a whisper.

"Leave me."

It was not so much a request but a command. Something inside her inner being was screaming to stay but her body would not oblige. Without a second thought, she ran down the corridor; feet keeping pace with the beating of her frantic heart.

**-Break-**

Princess Zelda yelped when a hand gripped her arm and pulled her swiftly to the side of the corridor as she exited the dungeon stairs. She was swiftly pressed against the wall. The cold marble was chill across her back. She looked up at her caretaker Impa with uncertainty; she hadn't meant to be caught like this doing something she was not supposed to.

"Zelda," Impa reprimanded, "I thought I told you to get prepared for the journey?"

"I…uh…" Zelda stammered, "I was just making sure that-"

"You better think real hard about the next words that come out of your mouth." Impa warned. Zelda simply closed her mouth and stood wordless before Impa. She was caught and she knew it; there was no reason to hide it now.

Impa shook her head before continuing, "No matter. It seems the battle has come to us." After a quizzical look from Zelda, "There have been Nevachrea supporters inside the castle walls. Moles, spies, it doesn't matter; they have apparently been inside our kingdom for years now. It seems they are the ones sowing dissent and unrest throughout the provinces. Already there are skirmishes in the castle and town square amongst the guards and what appears to be the local populace."

"Dear Goddesses Impa," Zelda said raising a hand to her mouth, "Is everyone truly against us?"

"No," Impa shook her head, "The majority of the citizens are joining the cause and trying to drive them out. But that is not what is important right now; I received word from a scout that she saw a young boy in a green tunic riding on a red mare enter the Lost Woods not less than an hour or so ago."

"Link!" Zelda was shocked, "Does he not know the danger?"

"I am sure he is aware princess," Impa took her by the arm and started leading her down the hallway, "we are going to scout the edges of the Lost Woods and see if we can discern where he might have gone. I will make sure no harm comes to you. But you must stay with me, understood?"

After a swift nod, they both traveled swiftly down the corridor and rounded the bend towards the double doors leading to the main entry hall. An arm extended from the shadows with a backpack of clothing and a satchel of food. Impa took it without question and handed it to Zelda who nearly stumbled with its weight. Zelda was always surprised at how much the Sheikah were capable of as the arm that had provided the necessary provisions had vanished.

She clumsily swung the backpack over her shoulders and was just figuring out how to put the satchel on when Impa spoke, "I took the liberty of having someone packing your things and getting us food for the journey while you were down in the dungeons talking to Ganondorf."

Zelda was struck dumb with her mouth open, "How…did you…?"

"I am Sheikah."

"I walked into that one, didn't I?" Zelda giggled.

Impa looked down on her charge with a warm smile, "Yes you did, little one."

It felt good to have a personal moment of mirth between them when everything around them was falling apart. They left through the grand shutter doors and out into the night. The oncoming chill of winter had not fully set in and merely a cool breeze brushed through Zelda's dress. As they proceeded down the hill to the town stables, they could hear the clash of swords and the yells of the town guards. Off in the distance, they could see the glow of a fire brewing from an unfortunate house.

Keeping to the shadows, Impa motioned for Zelda to stay close behind her. She peered around the corner and saw several scuffles between the town guard and various civilians. It was hard to identify which were traitors or loyal citizens. Ignoring them, she grabbed Zelda's hand and while crouching low, moved swiftly across the plaza. They moved from shadow to shadow, making sure they disturbed nothing with their passing. Zelda was entranced with the way Impa moved; with the grace of a cat she danced between patches of darkness. Zelda twice stumbled trying to keep up with her protector's movements.

They were within view of the town gates opening up to the wide expanse of fields. Impa frowned slightly. The gates were to be shut at night; were their traitors even in the ranks of soldiers themselves? Someone either had to have opened it from within or they were overrun by the spies amongst them. Impa highly doubted the latter. She gave Zelda's hand a gentle squeeze before heading along the edge of a row of buildings, keeping to the darkest side of the street. She would have normally taken to the rooftops, but knew better than to tax her young princess.

Just then a man landed in front of them with a splatter, a spear shaft pierced through his sternum. Impa looked up swiftly to see a soldier descending with sword flashing; she swung Zelda in front of her out of the way before rolling to the side to avoid the initial dive. The man slammed the sword into the cobblestones, shattering it completely. He stumbled briefly before regaining his balance; Impa was on him in seconds. She unfurled her baton and clicked a hidden button on its underside; several spikes projected around the circumference of its tip. She brought it down onto his face goring his cheek and slicing his nose clean off. The man crumpled to the ground as she gave another blow to the stomach, penetrating several internal organs.

Zelda looked on in horror as she watched a man die for the first time in her life. Blood was coming out in gushes from his abdomen as he kneeled over in painful death. Impa didn't even bother to look at her opponent, she was facing Zelda. She knew her handiwork and was not worried about the result of it; Zelda was safe and that was all that mattered.

"Princess," Zelda recoiled a bit from Impa's outstretched hand, "I am sorry you had to see that. Come with me, we must-"

Impa and Zelda both stared at each other in disbelief as a low groan emitted from the corpse lying behind Impa. She slowly turned around to the dead soldier and watched him slowly get back up onto his hands and knees. As the man rocked back and forth regaining feeling in his limbs, the blood flowing from his stomach seemed to be slowing down in regularity. The man spotted his bloodied nose off to the side in the dirt and grime of the street and made a grab for it. He fumbled and fell back onto his stomach with a sickening groan. Without regard to the two witnesses to this profane event, he jammed the nose back onto his face and held it there. Impa's eyes widened slightly as his hand left the nose that it was now firmly reattached to his face.

"Zelda," Impa commanded, "Get to the stables now! Get us a horse!"

Zelda turned and ran towards the stable just a block down as Impa slammed the man down to the ground with another swing of her baton; Zelda winced at the slight crack she heard but kept going. She dashed into the stable and looked down the stalls for a free horse. One was lame but two were in prime condition. She opened the stall door and untethered the bristling brown stallion who was just as unnerved as she was.

It stamped its feet and neighed loudly, she tried to calm and soothe it when a big grubby arm wrapped itself around her waist and a hand clasped itself around her mouth. The smell of reeking body odor and moldy eggs hit her nose making her gag. She was lifted off the ground and carried backwards into the opposite stall. The smell of stale beer flushed into her nostrils as a filthy mouth shoved itself near her ear.

"Good evening princess. No stable boy here to do your dirty work? That's too bad."

The man roughly threw her down onto the straw before leaping on top of her pushing the air out of her lungs with his overbearing weight. The man was disgustingly massive; he was fat with a repulsive beer belly and a chest full of hair. His head was bald with smudges of what looked like more than just dirt. Zelda wanted to retch but couldn't. The man quickly started trying to pull apart her dress with insane fits of laughter as he did so.

"Keep squirming little princess," he leered as he restrained her arms and started pawing her body, "no one is going to save you now!"

The neighing of the horse grew louder and the screaming inside Zelda's head rose to a fever pitch. This wasn't happening! Why was this happening? Zelda jolted as warm blood splattered onto her face; a spearhead had scored through the man's neck. His eyes went wide with surprise as he tried to speak but merely gurgled on his own blood. Impa, with a heavy heave, lifted the man off of Zelda with the spear and tossed him to the side of the empty stall. He lay there staring in useless fury at both women as he tried to grab and cling to the spear still sticking through his throat.

Impa reached her hand out to Zelda to help her up, but all Zelda could do was lay there in shock still staring at the disgusting man. Impa forced Zelda up and walked her over to the stall; it was only then that she realized Impa was covered in gore and unknown fleshy bits. Zelda shuddered as Impa lifted her up and set her on the horse before swinging up herself in front of Zelda.

"Hold onto me tight princess, we ride fast and hard."

Zelda could to nothing but comply, she simply stared ahead into nothingness. All she could do was utter one phrase, "The soldier…"

Impa looked back to her briefly, "Not dead."

With a swift kick to the sides, the horse galloped out of the stable and into the night. Without even looking, Impa bent low on the horse and swung the baton in an upwards arc as they reached the entrance to the stables; the baton struck the soldier in the chin lifting him clear off the ground. He slammed back down as they rushed onward towards the town gates and into the open fields.

Impa smirked, "Still not dead."

They rode like the wind for several miles before Zelda was finally in a mind to think clearly. She was going over the events of the last few hours and still hadn't pieced it all together in her mind. None of it seemed to be real, or something from a horrible nightmare. How can the dead come back to life? Why were they not able to be killed? She looked around and was unsure of where they were or where they were headed.

"Where are we going?" Zelda asked, giving Impa a slight squeeze around her midsection to get her attention.

"To find Link."


	7. Chapter 6 - The Rescue

- **CHAPTER 6 – The Rescue**

Tears were streaming from his eyes as he swung his sword again and again. Slashing off limbs, stabbing through eye sockets, dragging his sword through the bodies of the men he had to kill over and over. Link was never intimidated of killing monsters and feral animals; but he never had to kill another person until Ganondorf; the memory of his battle in a future that was slowly fading away. He remembered vividly his final strike to the face of the beast known as Ganon; Once a man, now a creature of terrifying power. The feel of the blade sinking into his forehead still chilled Link to the core with the enormity of what he had done.

Why were these men forcing him to kill them continuously? Saria was already a whimpering wreck on her knees near Epona, watching her dear friend hack these two men apart as they ever so relentlessly kept pulling themselves back together. Link sliced the head off of the blond headed man; it flew through the air and rolled within feet of Saria's position. She shrieked in horror as it looked at her with beady eyes.

"Well aren't you a sight better than that unruly boy?" The head simpered.

Link ducked under a jab the headless body attempted as it fashioned a trident out of thin air and attempt to skewer his torso with it. "Saria, kick that thing into the bushes. Make him work for it!"

Saria screamed in terror as she punted the head into the brush, teeth trying to snap at her toes as her foot connected. The black haired man was slowly dragging his body to a standing position near a tree as his disembodied left hand was crawling up his back to get onto the stump of an arm. After it reattached itself, he took his right foot which was twisted at a sickening angle and gave it a sharp twist; with a grunt of pain he endured the bone settling back into place.

"Talamir, go grab your head. You can't aim worth shite like that and you know it." Timner exclaimed.

The body of Talamir made one last feeble attempt at a parry as Link sliced the arm with the weapon off. It slumped to the dirt with a thud oozing its sickly blood onto the ground; the trident rolled out of the lifeless hand and melted into the grass leaving a black stain on the grass. Link took a double take where it fell and noticed the grass that had touched the trident was dead and grey. It was then that Link noticed the dead horse was nowhere to be seen. He glanced in the direction he last saw the body and noticed a huge patch of dead greenery where it had lain. Dear Goddesses, he thought, their magic can destroy nature around it!

Link didn't have time to think as he brought his sword up to shield the oncoming blow from Timner. A clang of steel punctured the night air as Link struggled against the man's superior strength; the harder Link pressed up against the man's sword, the more he could feel himself losing. Timner pushed harder and harder down onto Link, overbearing his capacity to withstand the assault.

"Looks like your time has run out boy!" Timner chortled as his eyes tore into Link's own.

Link let the man push his sword down as he bent over backwards under the descending sword strike. Link rolled past Timner's legs and quickly grabbed a Deku Nut from his belt pouch and as the man turned to face him threw it in-between his eyes. A flash bang erupted the night as the world went white; a split second later Timner was roaring with frustration as flashing lights dazzled before his eyes. He was dazed and staggered backwards with his sword up pitifully trying to defend against any incoming strikes. It wasn't enough; Link side stepped behind him and sliced his head clean off. He quickly kicked it as far as he could into the woods before rushing back to Saria.

"Saria, I need your help and fast!" Link started to unbuckle his belt, Saria looked at him confused, "We need to splint Epona's legs and staunch the blood or she will die. Someone at the castle taught me this."

Link stopped and stared at Saria as she looked on uncomprehendingly, "Saria!" She looked up at his face, "Unbuckle your belt too!"

Saria did as she was told and unfastened her belt; she handed it to him. He took both and knelt down beside Epona. He looked around the forest floor and found what he was seeking.

"Saria," Link held up a long thick branch the width of his wrist and the length of his arm, "can you find me another stick like this?"

She rushed off in the opposite direction of the two dangerous men, frantically scouring the ground for anything that would match what Link was looking for. Link glanced over his shoulder and spotted the various parts of Talamir and Timner struggling to place themselves back together. Good, he thought, I have some time here. Turning back to his horse he wilted with despair, she was simply laying on her side head lying on the ground; she had given up fighting. This was going to make things difficult.

He crept closer to her front legs and gently massaged them. She lifted her head to look at him and neighed weakly. "Sorry girl, you're not going to like this."

Link closed his eyes knowing the pain he would cause her; with a sharp pull, he straightened her leg out with a crunch. Her body convulsed in pain and her cry was shrill in the night air. Her nostrils flared as she looked at her master, not understanding why he was hurting her so. Without wasting time, he aligned the branch beside the wound so that equal measures were above and below the opening. He quickly wrapped his belt around her leg, keeping the branch firmly in place. Saria was just coming back with an acceptable switch for Epona's other leg as he tightened the belt securely.

Saria's eyes widened slightly as she began to clutch the branch closer to her chest; Link took the cue and quickly rolled to the side, cursing himself for leaving his sword lying in the grass a few feet away. The scimitar chewed into the dirt as a muffled oath came from Talamir. Link swiped up his sword and sprinted over the dead grass where the mist horse once laid and grappled his shield. Talamir wasted no time in closing the distance between them.

Link quickly reached down to his belt only to realize with dismay that his Deku Nut pouch was still attached to his belt wrapped around Epona's leg. He ducked down beneath the swipe from Talamir as he bolted around the snorting body of Epona; still in shock from the splinting of her leg. He slipped on the dirt and skidded right in front of her, face inches away from his goal.

Talamir saw what the boy was intending to do and switched targets; he stepped over to the horse and raised his scimitar into the air to initiate a plunging thrust into the stomach of the struggling mare. Time seemed to slow for Link as he grasped what Talamir was doing; without thinking he heaved his shield at the man's chest knocking him off balance. It was enough time for him to duck his hand into the pouch and grab a Deku Nut free. He tossed it across Epona and it landed squarely in front of the man. Another flash bang reverberated through the forest as Talamir staggered back a few steps, stunned.

Link leaped over Epona and stabbed Talamir in the heart; holding the sword tight, gravity brought Link down, forcing the sword downward splitting him from sternum to waist. As Link pulled the sword free from the man's innards, Talamir slumped to the ground watching his intestines and organs spill out of him. He looked up at Link with malice in his eyes.

"You know you can't win." Talamir sneered.

Without another word, Link sliced his head off and kicked it with venomous fury into the brush. "Recover from that!" Link yelled.

With grim determination, he turned to Saria, grabbed the stick and went right to work. He pulled the other leg straight swiftly; Saria winced at the agony Epona was feeling. He quickly set the switch and wrapped Saria's belt tightly around the second leg. With a nod of appraisal at his work, the hardest part was yet to come: getting her to stand. He motioned for Saria to get behind Epona and help him lift the horse up onto her hooves.

Link berated himself for allowing the Goron to leave early; he could have really used his strength right about now. After much grunting, squealing, and whinnying they finally got Epona onto all four hooves. He dared not ride her in this state, he knew it would not help any further with the weight she was already placed on her injured front legs. He glanced at the gash along her hind leg and saw that it had already dried but would make future travel difficult.

A slurping sound secreted from Talamir; Link turned and observed the headless corpse slowly stuffing its insides back into the body. Saria started to heave and had to look away. Another groan off in the distance heralded the fact that Timner found his head and was reattaching it back to his body. Above it all, Link noticed that the sound of men and raging fires were getting closer. He could dimly see the flames in the distance.

Link grabbed the reins and guided Epona onward, "Saria," he gripped her arm, "we have to go. We cannot stay."

Saria nodded her head and started walking beside him. Epona gingerly followed her master; slightly confident he knew what he was doing.

**-Break-**

The two riders raced across the plains of Hyrule, united by the common goal of finding a dear friend. Zelda held fast onto Impa's waist as Impa pushed the brown horse close to its endurance. The Lost Woods were dead ahead and there was an urgent need to get there as fast as they could. Impa wanted to save Link and any Kokiri left surviving; Zelda only thought of Link.

Impa pulled the stallion up short as they reached the edge of the woods. They looked upon it in dejection, how could they find the object of their search? The forest was massive and if they encountered Naar's troops, then it would be all over. Where would they start searching? They were almost without hope when Impa spotted several dots at the far northern edge of the woods. She urged her steed onward with Zelda in tow towards the figures in the distance.

As they approached, she happily discovered that it was indeed Link, holding hands with a young green-haired Kokiri girl and a…bleeding red mare. Impa noted he had applied several splints to its legs to help staunch the flow of blood as well as assist it in walking. She had to applaud the boy on his clever, innovative use of the tools at hand. It wouldn't be enough; Impa knew the horse would need medical attention soon.

Impa rode up to Link and leapt down from the saddle and strode up to him in one deft motion. She bent down to look at the horses legs. Link looked over at Zelda with relief and she returned the smile. Saria looked on, unsure of what to do. She had heard stories of Princess Zelda but had never met the girl herself. She blushed slightly and looked down at the ground in embarrassment; she wished she could be as pretty as Zelda.

Without a word, Impa reached into a pouch at her side and pulled out some green leaves. She chewed then up in her mouth and then applied them to the wounds. Epona nickered at the stinging the palliative was inducing. After a few moments, reprieve was evident in her face as the pain slowly started to ebb away. Impa stood up and turned to Link.

"Link, it is good to see you. You look like hades." She observed the various cuts and bruises across his skin and the massive amounts of gore on his clothes. They both seemed to be doing the same thing this night. She smirked at the thought.

"You should see the other guy." Link exclaimed breathlessly. The adrenaline of the past hour was starting to wear off.

Impa grinned at his comment; over the course of the last few months, they both had gotten to know each other a bit. She knew they shared the same sense of humor and it was as vibrant as ever. She shook her head slightly; maybe she was rubbing off on him? Now that was a scary thought.

Impa shook Saria's hand, the girl seemed flabbergasted at the honest show of concern, "You must be Saria. It is great to finally meet you young lady." Saria blushed.

Saria was shaken when Impa swiftly lifted her up onto her horse in front of Zelda. She stood beside the horse and placed a hand on Zelda's leg; Link had noticed her dress was covered in blood; it was still dark as fresh as it was. Link didn't have time to dwell on the matter though.

"Zelda, you will ride beside us, keep Saria safe and secure on the horse. We head for Kakariko Village." Impa directed.

"Yes Impa." Zelda complied.

Link tapped Impa on the arm, "Actually, can we stop by Lon Lon Ranch first?"

Impa went to question him, but didn't inquire further when he went silent. Zelda caught his eye and held it a brief moment before he looked away. She knew why he wanted to go back. She squeezed her eyes tight as tears began to form. Without another word, they moved at a decent pace; with Epona's injuries no longer hurting her as much, she was able to manage a trot.

They reached the ranch just as the sky was beginning to brighten with the coming of the dawn. Link handed Epona's tether to Impa as he rushed past the stables. It was deserted; only a couple of horses had been left behind, oblivious to what was going on around them. He looked out across the pasture in search of Malon. Walking to its center he found the bucket of cold water; it had gone murky and the sponge was dry in the grass. There was one scrawny old cow still left apparently sleeping. He sighed and headed back.

As he overviewed the ranch, he took note of the construction which would forever be left unfinished. Arches and support beams were spread out across the field, all in different stages of structure; all in preparation for a Royal Fest that was not to be. The big fire pit in the center had been erected but a week earlier, not a single flame would touch that pit for a long time to come Link knew. This ranch was now a dead ranch. After obligatorily checking the house, he walked up to Impa.

"I think we should take at least one of the horses," He pointed over to the stables, "and release the rest."

Impa purported this good idea and set to work. As she brought out an agreeable horse, Link swung himself up into the saddle. He had to balance himself since the horse was a bit larger and his legs further apart than he was used to on Epona. Not to mention how much higher he was!

As they headed out of the ranch, he glanced back at Zelda. An imploring look from Zelda baffled him; a touch of crystalline was trailing down her face. He went to ask why she was crying but disregarded it and turned to follow Impa as she guided Epona by the reins towards Kakariko Village.


	8. Chapter 7 - Princess in Name Only

_Readers just bear with me for the next few chapters. I have a few more chess pieces to introduce before I start moving them into key positions here. This chapter was fun to write. Ruto is a unique character and one I feel doesn't get a lot of justice done to her. She is a great character and one whose journey will take her in directions you will not expect. I know everyone wants to know what is going on with Link & co. but that will be a few chapters down the road, so sit tight! For those wondering about 'What Happened to the Mouse?', yes I know exactly where Sora is at this present time. Enjoy reading!_

- **CHAPTER 7 – Princess in Name Only**

She set down the sapphire back into its place stand and stepped back a few paces to admire it. How long had it been since she had last seen him? Almost a year she mused. What a wicked boy to not come see her after all these moons. She turned her head to the side to glance lovingly at her father who was sitting on his rocky throne, content to snoring loudly as always. Water brushed past his royal cape as the current split around his seated bulk. She shook her head slightly and smiled in thought; where had he gotten that stupid red cape? Probably washed ashore near their domain; thinking it regal a distant ancestor probably picked it up and claimed it as a royal object of the Zoran nobility.

She was a princess of the Zoras, an aquatic race of people who had evolved from simple ordinary fish into walking sentient beings. They had the body structure of a human, but their skin was of cyan hued scales. Their arms had fins attached to the outer forearm to assist in their travels through the water. Their webbed like feet ensured deft movement and speed when making tight turns.

A hierarchy had emerged in Zoran culture. A king or queen was crowned and each successive ruler would pass his or her power to the next king or queen. There were no sexual prejudices in their society. Her father was the current king and had really let himself go. He was a rotund figure, doing not much these days but sit on his rocky throne overseeing the rest of his domain. His scrawny arms and legs indicated many cycles of neglect. The only things he seemed to do these days was sleep and eat.

Unlike most Zoras who had an elongated tail (as it were) coming out from the back of their heads like that of a dolphin, Princess Ruto was unique. The most distinct thing about Ruto that differentiated her from the rest was that she had acquired a type of anvil shaped head; she was also more proportioned like a female human would be. Most Zora males and females were usually shaped like a male human. Many were fascinated by this and claimed that she was the start of a new evolutionary chain of Zora descendants but no one could prove it.

At the tender age of 12, Ruto had assumed the role of heir to the throne shortly after Link left her almost a cycle ago. He had come swiftly with purpose; he convinced the king to let him see the great Lord Jabu Jabu; their patron deity who was ever watchful of his children. At the time, Lord Jabu Jabu was unwell and refused to eat anything they had offered him. It wasn't until Link did the impossible; he went inside the great fish! The Zoras were stunned, it was almost as if he knew exactly what was wrong with their Lord; when he emerged from the fish maw Lord Jabu Jabu was well again!

As they talked in reprieving isolation together, Ruto grew more enamored with his strength, his courage and his tenacity. She would be the first one to admit she had fallen head over heels for this young human boy who had completely swept her off her feet. She didn't quite understand all that he had said; he was spouting things like coming back from the future. He appointed himself the task to undo the wrongs for both the Gorons and the Zoras that Ganondorf had accomplished prior to his arrival. His confidence was infectious. Very few people knew the entire story of his adventure to stop Ganondorf; most of the populace were oblivious.

Without a second thought, she handed to Link their family's most royal possession, the Zora Sapphire; a mysterious gem that had been inherited through the generations of the Zoran family. It was more than just a symbolic gesture of appreciation; it was also a Zora engagement commitment. This was the man she was to marry; the fact that he was a Hylian be damned! She stared dreamily into his eyes as he recounted his stories. She truly was listening but she was far more interested in him rather than anything he was talking about. He was always jumpy around her and it was unbelievably cute; she would always want to be near him and breathe in his forest-like scent. She had never smelt the like and it was an aphrodisiac to her.

Which made the split all the more tortuous for Ruto; Link had returned the Zora Sapphire to her claimed it was for the Zoras to keep possession of. He said that it was safer with them than where he was going. How Ruto cried that day. No one could console her for the emotional hurt was too great. Her only love had forsaken her and given back the engagement symbol. She still kept a glimmer of hope in her heart that he would come back one day and sweep her off her feet and hold him dearly in his arms kissing her furiously.

She left the throne room and walked down the calcified walls of the cavern towards her room. She sifted the curtains aside and stepped into her private space. She looked around the room; it was decorated as one would expect from a creature of the water. Her bed was an open clam shell with plush sponge pillows. The vanity was a sheet of thin mirror like glass situated on top of a bed of coral. The light in the room came from some plant bulbs hanging from the ceiling; glowing only in purest darkness.

On the nearby bed stand were two figurines made of clay. One was clumsily made to look like a Zora, while the other resembled a human boy with a little spit of clay that was meant to be his sword. She sat down on a shell in front of the stand and rested her head and arms on it gazing dreamily at the two figures. Sometimes late at night, she would enact glorious scenes of love and heartfelt emotion. She flushed slightly at the thought of sometimes making the two figurines kiss.

She heard a light tapping on the rock wall just outside her room; she drew up irritated that she couldn't be alone with her figures. She pushed the curtain aside to see a Zoran guard standing at attention in front of her. He saluted in proper fashion before relaying his information. She just nodded at his salute, dismissing it. She never did care for petty etiquette.

"Princess Ruto!" He said with halting tones scared stiff of even addressing royalty; Ruto smiled at what was obviously a new recruit, "I have come to inform you and the king that our scouts have confirmed the existence of the southern army! The Lost Woods is burning. We are unsure of what happened to the wood folk. They have not discovered our submerged passages yet, but they are pushing north into the fields."

"So why are you telling me and not my father?" Ruto grinned.

"Uh…um…" The guard looked absolutely dumbfounded at this question, it took him a few moments to recover, "Well, I…er…had saw the king sleeping and I…did not wish to wake up his royal highness!"

Ruto smiled at the young Zora, he couldn't have been older than 15 cycles; not much older than her. She did love to tease them so; she really should stop doing that. Despite the jovial joshing with the guard, she never did find any of her kind all that attractive. She placed a hand to her cheek lost in deep thought, something she was prone to do of late. She looked him over and didn't see anything abnormally wrong with the man. He was strappingly built and his muscles were firm and tight. When he grew older he would definitely be quite the heart throb.

"Ahem," Ruto was shaken out of her reverie, "Princess?"

"Yes, yes." She said with a wave of her hand, the guard was clearly dismissed. "I will go to my father and tell him the news. Thank you. That will be all."

The Zora hastily saluted her again and with a flurry of movement, he stumbled and tripped over his spear in awkwardness. The guard was mortified to be so inept in front of his princess. He was quickly making his way down the corridor when she called to him; flinching with the thought of embarrassing himself further he turned slowly back to Ruto.

"Yes princess?" He asked meekly.

"What is your name soldier?" She probed curiously.

"Veraca, my lady." If Zoras could sweat, he would be perspiring by now with nervousness.

She smiled, "Thank you. You may leave."

She watched him blunder off down the hallway before tripping and falling headfirst into the lagoon below with a terrific splash. She cackled at his clumsy nature. Veraca was a bit lanky for Zoras his age and he was still probably growing into the young man he would ultimately become. He probably wasn't fully used to his growing body yet; such an awkward time for a Zora. She sighed and turned back towards the royal throne room; time to wake father.

Warming to the guards standing at the entrance to the royal throne room, she nodded her head as she climbed the steps to the dais opposite her father. He awoke with a start and looked around him quickly before accessing what actually happened. He gazed down from his thrown at his youthful daughter; such a pretty thing she was. Took after her mother, Goddesses rest her soul.

"Ruto my dear," he spoke in a warbled chuckle, "what brings you to disturb my beauty sleep?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes at her father's stale attempts at humor, "Father, I was just informed from one of our forward deployed scouts that the rumored army of the south has taken the Lost Woods. They are pushing northward into the fields and will most likely be on our doorstep within a few moons."

He leaned forward slightly so as to not fall off his perch with his massive bulk. "And of our secret routes? Did they discover any of those?"

Ruto shook her head, "No father, all routes into our domain are secure. Not one has been found."

He leaned back against his throne with visible relief, "Good," he squawked, "I would like to have the valley pass to the west secured with more soldiers. I want the northern pools to be patrolled at all times; furthermore I want the passage to the Lost Woods sealed off. With that area taken, I do not want them catching us by surprise."

For such a lumbering king, he had a tactician's mind. His wit was as sharp as ever and his skill at warfare was unrivaled in their country. When King Zora spoke everyone listened. Ruto walked around trailing the edge of the throne room as she hiked up the ramp to where her father sat relishing in the cool rush of water flowing past his legs; it was soothing to him. He leaned in as best he could to nuzzle his daughter's head as she went to hug him.

"Father," she said while still holding his massive frame, "I've heard other rumors about this army." With a small croak from her father to continue, "Some say that the end of this army has yet to be seen. They are still pouring in from the south. What hope do we have against such a multitude?"

The king chortled under his quivering mustache of scales. "My dear Ruto," he cawed, "Our intent is not to fight this army but to wait it out. We will let the Hylians or Gorons or other races deal with this threat. When it is all over, we can open up our borders. We might even start a new line of trade with the victors."

Ruto backed up from her father rapidly, "You can't be serious!" She put her hands on her hips and gave him an accusing glare, "We owe our allegiance to the royal family of Hyrule or have you forgotten? We need to come to their aid, not hole up here like a bunch of scared curs!"

King Zora straightened up to his full height (as best he could), his gills puffing up in agitation as he confronted his daughter, "Know your place Ruto, you are not yet queen. You may be a princess, but you are still my flesh and blood. As long as you live under my roof, you will not talk to me in that manner!"

Ruto huffed, crossed her arms and turned kitty corner to her father, an visible affront if ever he did see one.

The king's eyes flared, "What of our home that we have lived in for centuries and which we will continue to live in for centuries to come? We have tended this place and made it our own; should we just abandon it like that?" He continued grilling her, "And what of Lord Jabu Jabu? Should we not save and protect him too? What, pray tell, might we use to move Lord Jabu Jabu? We cannot simply whisk him away from here. No, my dear Ruto-"

"But father!" She snapped back stamping her foot on the ground, "What are we supposed to do? I came to you hoping you would see sense here. We know our duty, we should fulfill it. The Lost Woods is gone now, Link's homeland is-"

King Zora bristled at the name of that boy, "You do not speak to me of that child. I do agree and understand he helped our patron deity; for that I am thankful. However that does not excuse your behavior with him!" He continued to boom, "Running around like a love sick puppy, doing his every bidding! I do not want that boy around you! He is not right for you and I will not allow it!"

The king was breathing heavily, never had he exerted this much energy in many moons. Ruto cringed at her father's anger; she hated it when she got him irate. She looked off towards the throne room entrance and noticed the two guards trying their best not to look like they were eavesdropping. She snorted in disgust; they should just drop the pretense and just join the argument. With a sudden idea, she turned her head towards her father.

"Then I know my duty," she said coolly, "and I'm going to fulfill it."

With a flick of her fins she turned around and casually strolled down the ramp towards the inner cavern. King Zora's eyes dilated with indignant fury. His bellow could be heard throughout the hall.

"Ruto you will obey me! We are staying! Every Zora here will be staying! There is no reason to run away from an enemy that can be beaten! If they can bleed, they can die! I will not permit you to leave! Guards!"

Ruto recoiled from the central pool of the room as two Zora men rose up from the depths and saluted their king. The nearby plant lanterns illuminated their bluish bodies still dripping with the water; they resembled wraiths of death. They were fully grown and far outmatched Ruto in both strength and size. She knew better than to take them head on. Ruto wanted to run away but her feet felt like stone and refused to let her go. She looked up in dismay at her father as he did the unthinkable.

"You two," he jabbed a thin finger at the two men, "see to it that my daughter does not leave Zora hall. If need be, confine her to her room and don't let her out until I say so!"

"Father no!" Ruto screamed. With an inner resolve she didn't know she had, the mental bondage on her legs released. She was scampering down the rest of the ramp; she frantically stooped under the two men at the entrance as they made a grab for her. She side stepped another guard coming up the passage and tripped him making the poor man face plant against the cold stone floor. She cringed as she passed over his twitching body.

"Sorry!" She chimed back.

"Somebody stop her!" The king's bellow reverberated throughout the hall as all Zoras trembled in fear of disobeying King Zora.

Every single friend had turned enemy as every Zora groped and grasped Ruto as she flashed past. Tears were starting to emit from her eyes as she saw dear friends with malice in their eyes as they attempted to block her escape. Being as young as she was, she had little difficulty ducking, weaving and dodging most of the attempts to seize her.

She beheld the base of the cavern filling up with Zoras with more pouring in from the lagoon and other waters around. She knew it was a foolhardy decision but she leapt from the height and splashed into the water below with a graceful dive. Within seconds men and women were speeding through the water towards her with deadly accuracy; like a knife cutting through malleable flesh.

She dove deep just as several Zoras were upon her; they lurched past her but each kicked a foot out to slow their momentum as they switch backed in her direction. Several others could see her intended goal: the Lost Woods passage. Two Zoras surged in from the left intending to cut her off. She did a swift back flip through the water and kept plowing towards the passage before they even realized what happened.

Determined and furious, she picked up speed and rushed towards the gaping hole in the cave floor. She had almost made it when a Zora swam in front and knocked her unconscious with a spear butt to the head. The last thing Ruto saw was the surface of the water high above her tumbling further and further out of reach.

Then blackness…


	9. Chapter 8 - Test of Loyalty

_A warning who those who cringe at torture scenes. This is not an easy chapter to read through, nor was it to write. But I did not write it for torture's sake. I am of the belief that you can get across to the reader a lot more through action than you can with some random know-it-all who drops an exposition bomb 5 pages long. So I am revealing quite a lot of information here through the action of this chapter that will come into play later. Pay attention and you'll be well rewarded._

- **CHAPTER 8 – Test of Loyalty**

The pitiful, young, naked Kokiri girl trapped in bondage looked down at the dirt floor; legs soaking in the chill cold of the ground beneath them. She gave little thought anymore to the odd red patch of dirt just beneath her. Her legs were separately chained to two posts equidistant from a third one where her two arms were chained to. There was also an iron collar hewn around her neck that was also chained to the same post her hands were. The end result was quite violating and utterly humiliating.

Her lower lip trembled as she watched Naar out of the corner of her eyes pace the room. He was listening intently to his three commanders; she remembered them well for they were the ones who had dragged her friends off to be killed, tortured or worse. All four men were completely oblivious to her nude form. She could have been a wall fly for all they cared; she was merely an object that deserved no attention unless it served itself useful.

She could feel the call of the forest ever since she was torn from her home. Each hour she could feel herself getting weaker. It was all she could do to lift her chin so she could crane her eyes and look to the far end of the tent where her fairy, Lyda, was. She was captured alongside her and placed in a cage with mesh bars so dense she couldn't find an opening to fly free. Their hearts, entwined as one, called out to each other as they tried to give comfort to the other through looks alone.

It had been a horrible night; as she looked at her fairy she found herself losing control and being brought back into the hazy fog of remembrance. A place she did not want to go but drew her in without consent. She recalled the flames raging around her home, burning her livelihood to the bitter ground when Link flashed through the air on his brilliant steed. He had come to save her. She could still picture it now; his hand descending to come grab her from the nightmare.

She shivered in the light breeze whistling in through the tent flap. Despite all the horrors she had witnessed and experienced, she still pinpointed Link on his horse; gallantly riding in his Kokiri tunic. Watching that arrow shimmer in the firelight as it whistled through the air and burrowing itself deep in Naar's shoulder; it was like something from a dream. He was coming for her, his hand was extended for any to grab and flee to safety.

She looked back to the four men and narrowed her eyes in loathing; she was not the one who held on, she was not the one who was saved. She was rudely pushed off and crumpled to the ground; she watched helplessly as Link rode off into the woods with Saria on the horse. Why did Link pick her over me? She fumed with thoughts of injustice; they boiled and brewed and her hatred for Saria grew with each passing moment.

"Thanan," Naar motioned for his eldest commander to step forward, "I accept your report on the Zoras. We should attack from the west for they do not know what we are capable of; that will be their undoing." Still glowering at Talamir and Timner who looked visibly ashamed, Naar grabbed a fistful of Thanan's vest, "What I'm most interested in is this impudent boy who thinks he can mock me. Dear Ballos, we are the Undying! Do not come to me with excuses why you could not kill a single Hylian child!"

"My lord," Talamir began to explain, "we completely underestimated the b-"

With a swift motion, Naar had released Thanan's vest and smashed his palm in Talamir's chest; a huge shockwave pierced through everyone in the tent. Timner and Thanan took a few steps back at the force of the blast; the Kokiri girl could do nothing but moan in pain. After the tent had settled down from the force, Naar walked over to the crumbled body of Talamir.

With a boot crunching into his chest where the pulse had impacted, Naar leaned down into Talamir's face putting all his weight into it, "I don't care about your excuses. It does not properly make up for your ineptness at doing your job."

Naar released his boot off Talamir's chest; Talamir gave a groan of relief. He was helped off the ground by Timner; his chest already reforming back to its original state. Naar stormed off to the table in the room, perusing the maps strewn across it. He was furious and everyone in the tent knew it. He waved a hand off in the direction of the two failures but motioned Thanan to come closer.

Timner placed an arm around Talamir, "You know better than to quibble with him like that brother!" he said in a hushed whisper.

Talamir fumed back, "I know! We were not prepared to have a battle hardened child on our hands though."

Timner just nodded as he guided his brother out of the tent, letting the flap flop down upon their exit. Thanan stood next to his general awaiting his orders; he knew better than to press Naar for information until he was ready to give it. He pointed to the spot on the map that was just south of the mountains to the north.

"This village," he leaned closer to get a good look at the script written next to it, "Kakariko. This will be where most refugees will go. We do not need to send a huge detachment to this place since our main goal is Hyrule Castle." Thanan nodded memorizing every word, "With our moles in place inside the town, it should be easy to just flow in with our main force and subjugate it."

His finger traced southward to the primary structure in the fields, "This is of no consequence. It is not defendable and they wouldn't take the effort to try it." He moved eastward on the map to the valley, "This is where the Zoras are. I do not think pushing our main force through is advisable. It is too cramped and way too many places for Zoras to utilize guerrilla tactics against us."

He grunted briefly, "No, what we need is a small death squad. No more than a few dozen men. We need to select trained assassins, none of the common grunts will do. They are dumber than nails and I do not need this mission botched up. We get in clean and we get out unscathed."

Naar turned to Thanan who snapped back to attention after having leaned over slightly to look at the map. "You will lead the death squad in from the west and overpower the Zoras. They claim to have a deity living among them. Find the truth to this matter and kill it. That will most likely drive a mental blow to their spiritual psyche that they may just give up on the spot!"

Naar laughed at that. After sharing a brief moment of humor with his commander, he waved him off with a clap on the shoulder. Naar watched him leave; he knew Thanan would get the job done. Why did he trust in the skills of Talamir and Timner again? He shook his head in disgust at their failure. Why did he promise that wretched woman he would care for them? They had been nothing but trouble.

Naar shook his head to clear his thoughts; he had another matter to attend to. He walked over to the young Kokiri chained to his floor and stared down at her hapless body; looking at the blossoming curves through the dim glow of the candles in his tent.

With an indifferent tone he inquired, "So it is said that you die when you leave the forest. Or is it that you grow older? Which is it?"

Her face was impassive; why should she give in to anything this man had to say or do? He already destroyed her home and mutilated her body in ways she dare not remember again. She did her best against the iron collar to turn her face away from him. Angered, Naar knelt down and slapped her face hard leaving a horrible red welt on her cheek. Tears began to flood from her eyes, but she refused to give in; Lyda was full of pride for her companion.

"You seem to be a defiant one." It wasn't a question but a statement. He took two fingers and inserted them roughly, she cried out in shock and shame.

"Please no…please, not again. Please…" She whimpered.

Naar laughed heartily deep in his throat as he moved the fingers around, "Oh yes you are. I can see it in your eyes. The fury of being left behind."

Her blood ran cold, shocked that he knew her thoughts! Could he read minds? A sudden dread came over her as she stared in horror at Naar's evil grin. Keeping the fingers in, he took his other hand and grasped her cheeks between his fingers; the collar dug painfully into her neck.

"You feel something for the young boy?" He looked deeply into her eyes to make sure the real truth would come out, "Why was it that other girl got saved and not you? He favored her didn't he? He didn't care for you at all, did he?"

She couldn't speak; it was like he was peeling away the layers of her frustration, anger and rage at how she had been left behind. It was an altogether different feeling than what he had done to her already; she didn't like it and it wasn't pleasant. Then Naar did something unexpected. He withdrew his fingers and released her face; her airway opened up slightly so she could breathe easier after he let go. He looked off towards Lyda in her cage lost in thought.

"I know those feelings. I have been there before. No one wants to be left behind."

Without looking at her, he ran a hand through her blond hair, feeling its folds through his fingers; a shiver coursed down her spine at his touch. Feeling the silky smoothness as it slipped through his rough and calloused fingers. It felt nice, almost sensual. Sexual.

"What is your name young one?" Naar said with unnatural sincerity.

She was at a loss for words. This evil man had done horrible things to her. Who had violated and abused her; was he trying to actually be nice? Did he even care? Why should she do anything for him?

Seeing that she was not going to respond, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and with a savage jerk yanked it as far as he could to the ground making her scream in agonizing pain. She immediately started choking and gagging, unable to breathe with the grip of the collar digging a red smear into her skin.

"WHAT IS YOUR NAME?!" He roared inches from her eyes, spit flying into her face.

Trying to desperately breathe against the onslaught, she managed to croak, "K…Kiera."

Naar immediately released her hair as her head swung back up into a position where the collar wasn't choking her. She started coughing uncontrollably, drawing in gulps of air with each breath. Tears started to trail down her dirty face clearing a path down her check which was visible in the candle light. Trickles of blood emerged from the side of her lips; Naar disregarded it. He backed off and stood up staring back down on her vulnerable body. Kiera tried not to look at his eyes; those dark green penetrating eyes.

Naar clasped his hands behind his back and seemed lost in deep thought. After a time he finally spoke in a voice softer than she had ever heard him, "Forgive my roughness earlier Kiera," she merely stared at him unbelieving, "but I like to know the names of my men who go out to do special assignments for me. I have a…rather unique job for you that I'm sure you will be more than happy to do."

A small burble in her throat indicated laughter; she couldn't believe he was trying to enlist her into his army. After all he had done? Sensing this ridicule he promptly smashed his boot heel onto her right ankle; a snap was heard as bones shattered with the impact. Kiera screamed in misery as Lyda was buzzing around her cage like an angry hornet.

Naar looked over to the flickering light emanating from the fairy. An idea sprang to his mind. He went over to the cage, examining the furious fairy raging within. It was quite clear the fairy intended to kill him if she was let out.

"Curious," he contemplated, "that each of you Kokiri is given a fairy. I wonder how deep this connection truly goes."

With a single touch to the cage the fairy was hacking on the floor of the enclosure while some unseen force was penetrating her entire frame. A gasp was heard behind him from Kiera; Naar merely smirked. Opening the door of the cage, he held the fairy in his hand. He brought it back to the map table and pulled out a small dagger from his belt clip. Setting the fairy down, he splayed out the wings and began to slice through each of them in turn. The fairy's light was frantically glowing intermittently as she squirmed under his massive hand; squeaking the entire time at the butchering of its wings.

A shrill shriek from Kiera made Naar stop the experiment. He gripped the fairy in his fist as he walked over to the Kokiri girl. He saw new drops of blood falling from her back onto the dirt; staining it a red hue. He kneeled on both knees and looked underneath Kiera's back; the fairy slowly being crushed in his fist as he did so. He saw four slashes across her back in four unique places where wings could have been.

He got back up and murmured to himself, "Curious and more curious."

After throwing the fairy back in its pen and securing its door, he strode back to the Kiera. Naar faced the quivering girl and delighted in the terror that his very presence brought her. He bent over and unclasped her two legs from their posts. He left the chains on but her legs were free to move. She brought them underneath her; relishing in the new feeling it brought to her aching limbs.

Her lower lip quivered in fear of what he was planning now, "What do you…intend to do?"

She was on the verge of tears; she didn't want to be hurt again. Dear Deku Tree, father to us all, just let it end! Naar gave her no peace; he merely unhooked his belt and took off his leggings. He was a powerful figure, even without his armor. Staring in fear at the object which made her feel pain inside her inner most being she shied away as best she could. He sniggered and turned to a chest on the far side of the tent.

"No need to be worried about that just yet my dear Kiera," he crooned, "Its time will come tonight…many, many times! For right now, I need you to have full use of your legs. You and your fairy are going to be quite instrumental to me tonight!"

He rummaged through the chest and brought out a jagged dagger which had a dull stain of blood along its length indicating its heavy use and the lives it had taken. He turned on his heel, crunching the dirt beneath his feet, and walked slowly towards Kiera making sure the candles glinted off the knife just right to frighten the poor girl more. Naar knelt down in front of her again waving the dagger in her face.

"Now there are several things I need for you to do for me." Her eyes remained fixated on the dagger. "However, I cannot trust that you will do as I ask. You are way too defiant and unruly for my tastes. I need you to be…more pliant."

He spread her legs out again and gripped her thigh tightly, "Now shall we test your loyalty to me, my dear Kiera?"

The screaming went on for hours…


	10. Chapter 9 - The Calm

- **CHAPTER 9 – The Calm**

Link emerged out of the barrel dripping wet with the warm water that had been placed into the container a half hour earlier. He stepped over the side and used a horribly scratchy cloth to dry himself off as thoughts swirled like a maelstrom through his mind. He recollected everything he had seen and witnessed the previous day. He pondered what his next course of action should be. Wrapping the itchy towel around his waist, he pushed back the navy blue curtains with nice gold trimming along the bottom and stepped out onto the verandah.

The prickling morning air was strangely delightful to him as he looked out across the village as the first rays of sun struck the rooftops. The cuts along his arms and legs had screamed in release at that bath and he was feeling a million times better. He stretched relishing the cool breeze kissing his skin; winter was definitely on the horizon. Along with the wind came a scent of smoke. He frowned as he remembered the source of it being further south; to his former home.

Slamming into his brain was his other friends: the Zoras and Gorons! He couldn't believe he had forgotten completely about them during the night. He whisked around on his heel ready to get dressed when he spotted Zelda behind him watching from the doorway. He yelped trying to cover himself up better but instead stumbling backwards towards the railing. He hit the edge and wildly groped for some hand hold when he flipped and almost fell from the verandah when Zelda screamed and rushed forward reaching for his foot.

She latched onto it tightly. Link was hanging upside down with one foot in Zelda's grasp; his towel happily obeying gravity much to his dismay. She dug hard into the side of the banister with her feet as she pulled back with all her strength. He struggled to lift his upper body to grab the hand rail. With some considerable effort Link flipped over the rail and on top of Zelda who landed firmly on her butt.

Link hastily rolled off of her and tried in vain to decently cover both his lower and upper body with the measly towel. "Zelda," his voice slowly coming down from a higher pitch, "a courtesy knock would have done much better! I could have been killed!"

Still winded, she continued to sit where she fell. She couldn't help but giggle, not only had she surprised Link but she caught him off his guard too! This was almost too much!

"Oh silly! I've seen baby animals being born; don't think I haven't seen that thing before!"

As this she laughed even harder. However it did no favors to Link's ego.

"I don't think comparing me to animals is exactly the same thing Zelda." Link contradicted.

Gripping his towel with white knuckles, he motioned for her to turn around. She helped herself up and with a curtsy she obligingly turned around to look upon the rest of Kakariko village. He deftly slipped passed her and into the room; he quickly snagged up his Kokiri clothing. The clothes smelled fresh and clean this morning after some nice inn worker offered to wash them during the night. He loved his green Kokiri garb; he was raised in the Lost Woods most of his life and it held special meaning to him now that Naar destroyed it.

Link's gaze flitted to the mirror on the vanity briefly as he flung on his clothes; he noticed a small smudge of what looked like dirt on his backside. He rubbed it gently but it wouldn't come off. Figuring it odd but promising himself he'd wash better next time he resumed pulling the tunic down over his head. Signaling that he was ready, he tapped Zelda on the shoulder. She turned around and appraised him.

"You look much better." She complimented.

"You do too." Link said, and he meant it too.

Zelda had changed during the night from her regal princess attire into something far more…tomboy-ish. She was wearing leather breeches that had attachable suspenders to keep them up on her lithe waist. A pale ivory peasant shirt with sleeves cut at the mid forearm adorned her torso. She had her hair done up in a bun where if viewed from certain angles, she could almost pass for a boy; a boy with brilliant, shining, golden hair.

She placed her hands on her hips like a real tomboy would and accepted the compliment in stride, "Thank you Link." She looked at him with a somber expression, "I truly am sorry about before when I startled you just now. It was rude of me. Will you forgive me?"

Link simply smiled, "It's okay Zelda. By now I should have been used to it. It was my fault for letting my guard down."

Zelda still had that forlorn face and apparently wasn't convinced of what was going through her own mind, "It's not that Link. It is something…deeper." Link cocked his head as he was completely lost as to where she was going with this. "I've been thinking; neither of us has been letting our guard down with each other enough. Am I making any sense?"

Link thought long and hard before finally understanding what she meant, however, "No, I don't see what you're getting at."

Zelda sighed before realizing Link was holding in the biggest grin of his life. That little…he did know what she was talking about! She gave him a small shove to the shoulder as he laughed manically at his own joke and bounded away. She beamed again; it was good to have her friend back. She thought she had turned him away from her forever just a day ago.

She stepped past him and headed for the door; as she reached the threshold she placed a hand on the frame and looked back, "Link, I know you want to get out there and start helping your other friends, but you should recoup here for a day. Don't take this the wrong way, but I've ordered the town guards to not let you leave until tomorrow. So…" she giggled, "I'm forcing you to get some rest!"

"Well I guess I'm all out of options Zelda!" Link gave his special smile that seemed to be only reserved for her. How she truly cared for him.

"Link, I just love that smile. I swear, if I ever catch you giving that special smile to anyone else, I think I might get jealous!" She gave him a devious smile before leaving; she backed up a few paces when he hailed her to return. She tilted her head inquisitively at him.

"Hey Zelda," trying to put his thoughts together, "Do you know where they put Saria and Epona?"

"Well, if you had waited for a few more minutes instead of passing out on your bed you would have known Saria is just down at the end of the hall. I'll show you maybe?" She looked at him in expectation.

"Ha ha." Link faked and shook his head.

"Well," Zelda continued, "Epona is in the stables outside and a doctor came by during the night and applied some new medicine. I think everything will be fine Link."

Link sighed with relief at the news, "Also…um…Zelda," he seemed a bit unsure of how to word his next question, "What about Talon and Malon, did they also come here to Kakariko Village?"

She smiled sadly at his last words, "Yes," she haltingly started, "they both came here. They are on the first floor in the guest rooms. The innkeeper will direct you to them if you wish."

Link's countenance deflated visibly as she weakly dropped the smile and carefully shut the door behind her without making a sound. Link stood in the middle of his room staring at the spot Zelda once was. After a few minutes, he came to his senses and started gathering his belongings and packing them away for the morrow. Once satisfied that everything was in order, he closed the doors to the verandah and stepped out into the hall.

Link bounced down the hallway as he noted the lamps adorning the walls at intervals; the inn had a simple, rustic charm to it. The floor boards were worn and creaked with every step. He stopped at the end of the hall in front of Saria's room. He knocked lightly and upon receiving no response quietly opened the door slowly, allowing the light from the hall to pierce the gloom. He carefully snuck inside and shut the door; he stood waiting at the threshold letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. The curtains had not yet been drawn and all candles were extinguished still. He frowned upon noticed her room was not as lavish as the one he received; but it was quite a deal more than anything Saria ever had in the Lost Woods.

He looked on the dresser and found some things he knew weren't hers and had been given to her. Some combs, hair ointments, as well as styling cream; all the female essentials he concluded. He stifled a laugh as he looked upon the objects as Kokiri didn't need any of this stuff! He recalled when they would both go out into the woods playing through the bushes and her hair would get so tangled and messy. As if by magic, it would resume its normal, pristine shape in a couple hours; it was the same when she got wet. Unlike Link whose hair always stayed messed unless he did something with it.

After fondly reliving his memories, Link turned towards the bed where Saria lay sleeping silently. He tiptoed over to her side and softly sat down on the plush blankets and looked down upon his friend with compassion. A rush of overwhelming emotion flooded his senses and he silently cried for his Kokiri friends. Wave upon wave of tears racked his body. Violently trying to compose himself, he wiped away his tears on his sleeve.

"Mmm…Link?" He jumped a bit when he realized he had woken Saria. "Is everything alright?" She groggily mumbled.

"Yes Saria," he gently ran a hand down her arm and grasped her hand in his, "get some more sleep. You are safe."

Saria closed her eyes once more and drifted back off to sleep. Link stayed a few moments longer until he could hear her sleeping soundly underneath the blankets; watching her chest slowly move up and down with her steady breathing. Link gave her hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance before letting go and getting back onto the floor.

Link cringed at the light as he reentered the hallway. Looking around he didn't see anybody tending to the front desk of the inn as he descended the stairs to the bottom floor. Wandering down the halls he was at a loss as to which room was ultimately the one Talon and Malon would be residing in. It turned out that it needn't have mattered since Talon opened the door for him. His belly barreled out of the doorframe well before the rest of him and knocked Link across the hall with a yell.

"Whoa there Link! I was just about to look fer Malon. She told me she'd be back because she went to explore the village. After all, it is her first time here!" Talon boomed jovially.

Link got up and dusted off his tunic as he absently nodded; he didn't have time to react when Talon swept Link up in a crushing bear hug. Gasping for air and thinking that he heard some bones pop down his spine, Link kindly pounded on Talon's chest to put him down.

Talon heaved a heavy guffaw before placing him down more roughly than intended, "Sorry about that. I'm just so happy you're alive! I truly thought you were a goner when ya left fer the Lost Woods!"

"Yes, I met the army." Link tossed out casually.

Talon stood rigid, "You what boy?!"

"I met their army." Link repeated as if this wasn't that hard to understand.

"Good Goddesses Link! Ya managed to get through the woods an' stand up ta them face ta face? Have ya gon' mad?" His speech was turning rather unintelligible at his incredulousness to Link's story.

It was Link's turn to laugh, "Well, we got out okay and I managed to save Saria." Link suddenly looked down at his feet in anguish and said through closed teeth, "She was the only one I could save."

Talon placed a comforting hand on Link's shoulder, "It wasn't yer fault Link. Ya tried and that's all that can be said." Suddenly changing tack, he questioned, "Can I ask you a favor?" Link nodded, "I want ya to come help me find Malon in the village. She should be somewhere, but I honestly don't know where. Can ya help me with this?"

Link nodded again before Talon clapped him on the back a couple times as he moved off in the direction of the eating area. Link chuckled at Talon's appetite, but he knew where Malon might be and made a straight beeline for that place. Within minutes he stepped outside and looked up to see the sun slowly rising into the morning sky. Rejuvenated, he headed towards the most obvious place Malon could be. He noticed Impa across the road leaning up against the opposite building; even in her own home she preferred to stay in the shadows. She simply nodded her head as he passed by.

Kakariko village was initially founded by the Sheikah and was an exclusive community. It wasn't until Impa was born and raised in this town, that was forever in the shadow of Death Mountain, did that all change. She graciously opened the village up to the poor common folk to make a decent living. Hylians who could not afford to live in the upper class provinces or in Hyrule town itself could make a good life in the mountains.

It was built in a strategic location nestled in a valley at the foot of the mountain pass that led up to the summit of Death Mountain on its northern border. It had all the basic necessities a village could need; there were some unique structures and places that set Kakariko apart from most other towns. The windmill on the eastern hill overlooking the town was of special note and was the pride of the village; they utilized the wind power generated from the windmill to stimulate new inventions.

The other location of note was the royal graveyard tucked away on the eastern side of the village. It housed a great many monarchs of Hyrule and their Sheikah caretakers. It was a sacred place and well taken care of. Impa had informed Zelda that she herself would be buried there one day along with the king; in time Zelda herself would find a plot in the ground to call her own. That talk of inevitable death didn't sit well with Zelda at the time.

Link stopped in front of the small stable building at the foot of the hill just below the windmill. He opened the stable door to see a diminutive corridor with only a few stalls. He sighed realizing that they probably could only afford to build a small stable in a hamlet such as this; the castle life sure did spoil him rotten! Hay was scattered all over the floor and bundles of it were tied up in rolls in a few of the stalls. Anticipation flooded his heart as he heard a familiar neighing in the last stall at the end. He ran forward several stalls until he heard a whinny to his right. Epona had spotted him! Link dashed towards her and hugged he neck. Enormously happy, she nuzzled her nose across his shoulders and playfully nicked his hair with her teeth.

"I missed you too girl." He said patting her neck lovingly.

Excited, she tried to move from her reclining position but her new splints prevented her from doing so. Link calmed her and told her not to move; amazingly able to understand she ceased her movement but could not contain her joyful mood. She kept trying to lick Link's hair as he examined her front legs; it seemed the doctor knew his stuff. His makeshift splints were replaced with sturdier, more sanitary substitutes. He shifted around to see the long gouge on her hind leg; he lightly trailed his fingers over her large wound on her back thigh. The memories came flooding back as he slumped to the floor overcome with insurmountable grief.

Malon had been watching him from the shadows the moment he stepped foot into the building. She kept to herself until she saw Link fall to the ground crying. She rushed over to him and lifted his face to look at her. His eyes conveyed the meaning that did not need to be said. She hugged him with all her might. Feeling the wetness of his tears dampening her clothes, she hugged him even tighter. The flow of her tears matched his own as they cried together. The grief they both shared was universal, the Kokiri were no more…


	11. Chapter 10 - Close Encounters

_I know there have been some requests for lemons, but they're all so young still! So instead, enjoy a hint of lime! I'm doing my best to flesh out characters and events so that when I fit the puzzle pieces together towards the end, none of it will seem rushed. Taking my time now so it'll pay off later, right?_

- **CHAPTER 10 – Close Encounters**

Link awoke with the sun shining in his eyes from the window just above his resting form; turning his head to avoid the glare he noticed Malon next to him, her head cradled between his arm and chest. It took him a few moments to realize they had fallen asleep together; they were more exhausted than they thought. He looked further past Malon to see Epona resting peacefully beside them both. The fresh smell of hair, horse and Malon's floral scent was intoxicating; he laid his head back down onto the hay bale they had lain up against and closed his eyes once more.

Link turned his head to gaze upon Malon as she moaned slightly; she had just started to stir. After a long stretch confined in his arms she clutched a piece of his tunic and murmured dreamily, "Mmm…good morning daddy."

Link's body went stiff at this comment. Was she still asleep? Or was she joking with him? Malon had noticed the change in his physique and started to fully wake up to her situation; she glanced up into Link's blue eyes and flushed a furious shade of red after realizing what she just called him. She buried her face into his armpit wanted to die from embarrassment.

"I'm sorry Link." She muffled into his clothes.

Link chuckled as he enfolded her into his arms and hugged her; she did not resist but let his embracing warmth radiate around her body. Now fully awake, both of them simply laid next to each other; each soaking in this quiet moment that they shared. The events of the previous day weighed heavily upon the two of them.

Absently rubbing her hand across Link's chest she intoned, "So Saria is safe. That is good. Were you able to save any others?"

A gentle squeeze on her shoulder indicated otherwise, "No." It was all he could say.

"What was it like facing that army?" Malon questioned, not fully realizing the effect they had on Link.

"Terrible." His mind started relapsing into the horrors of the day prior; he did not want Malon to experience any of what he went through.

"Can we honestly beat th-"

Link quickly cut her off, "I'd rather not talk about it please."

Ashamed she just buried her face into his arm again; taking in his delectable scent of forest, dirt and everything natural. Malon wondered what it was like to live in the forest and play all day with the other Kokiri. To live beside the forest animals and ride her horses through the trees; it must have been so magical.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind, "Hey Link." She looked back up into his face, "We also brought the new foal here with us. Did you want to see it?"

Link got excited at this; he remembered washing it down and cleaning off the birthing fluids from that young horse back at Lon Lon Ranch. It was an anchor of normalcy in a world gone mad; he wanted to see it for no other reason than to see something good still left in the world. Each of them helped the other up off the floor as Epona gave a snort at being awoken; Link gently petted her neck until she settled down into restful sleep.

She eagerly took Link by the hand and guided him down the stalls until they reached the first one just left of the entrance to the stable. He must have completely passed the young foal on his way in earlier that morning. They entered its enclosure and gently woke up the little horse. Its mother was adjacently resting behind it watching the two of them intently; after seeing no threat she resumed her inhaling of the nearby hay.

"I have to admit," Malon jabbed, "you did a decent job fixing him up."

"Oh," Link stammered, he actually hadn't noticed it was a male colt at the time of birth.

"You still need some more practice," she continued as if he had said nothing, "before you can be as good at me delivering babies!"

"Maybe you'll show me your expert technique then!" Link rebutted with a grin.

"Maybe I will," Malon mused, gently running her hands down the length of the colt's neck.

Link followed suit and place his hands on the young horse's flank and began rubbing his hands through its fur. The foal was practically humming with pleasure at the unexpected attention it was receiving.

"So what do you think you'll name it?" Link asked.

Malon gave it some thought as she continued petting, "Something strong…something courageous." After a few more moments of intense deliberation she nodded her head. "Harden."

Link had to do a double take with his ears; he cocked his head to look at her, "Harden? Seriously?"

She stepped back with an indignant look on her face; she placed her fists on her hips in defiance as she interrogated Link, "Yes really! Why is that such a bad name? I think it's a great name!"

Link's lips widen in a grin, "Oh I'm sure it's a great name. As great a name as you could give a rock."

Malon's lips dropped open in shock, "You take that back! You don't insult my horse like that!"

Link continued to stroke the young colt that seemed to have cared less about this whole dispute, "So this is your horse now? Just like Epona was supposed to be before she claimed me as her master?"

Link hadn't actually meant to have it taken as an insult but Malon was affronted; she pointed a finger at Link, "Don't you dare think of taking this horse too. I'm going to train it up to be a great stallion; one that will whisk me wherever I wish to go."

Link suppressed a laugh in his throat as he ignored her comment. He merely stuck his tongue out at her. That was it; she charged him and tackled him to the floor. They both were rolling around in the hay as they both giggled and laughed; trying in vain to get the upper hand in the insane tickle war that was ensuing. The foal's mother gave an irritated snort at the commotion happening so close to her young one.

Taking her cue, Link rolled out from beneath Malon's frenzy of tickles and grabbed a nearby stick the length of his arm; well that was convenient, Link thought to himself. Malon stood a few paces away looking for a way to avoid his swings should she come near him for another assault.

"Oh what?" she mockingly cried, "You're going to strike down a defenseless little girl with that nasty sword of yours?"

Changing his battle stance, Link realized that she was right. He grabbed a small shovel with an appropriate handle length and took it for himself; he tossed the stick over to Malon to catch. She fumbled with it and dropped it in the hay.

"Time out! Time out!" She cried as she wildly clawed through the straws to find her stick sword.

Link gave a pseudo-evil laugh, "There are no time outs in war soldier! Prepare to die!"

Malon squealed with laughter as she grabbed the sword and rolled out of the way as his shovel handle hit the ground where she had been. She haltingly regained her balance on her feet and stuck the sword out at him at an awkward angle; daring him to come closer. Link could do nothing but look at her with gaiety; she was doing it all wrong. He let his shovel drop and walked over to her to correct her stance. She swung at him once in a haphazard fashion.

"No, stop! I'm trying to help you idiot!" She took offense at this but let him guide her. "You need to stand slightly to the side. You do not show your full front to the enemy; it gives him far more targets to stab into."

Malon reddened slightly as his hands touched most of her body as he was busily adjusting her stance. She didn't think he was aware of the effect his hands on her had; he was so content on improving her fighting stance that when he had finished he looked at her rosy cheeks in confusion.

"Is everything alright?" he questioned.

"Uh…yes. So is this how you stand?" She tried her best to maintain the position he had forced her body into.

He nodded with approval, "Yes, you need to have your back leg supporting your weight as your front leg moves freely to dodge incoming blows. It is your anchor. Facing sidelong like that also gives fewer targets for your foe to strike. But," he pointed to the way she held her sword, "you're holding that all wrong."

With a quick flick of the shovel, he had knocked the sword right out of her hand. The stick clattered to the ground near the opposite stall. She gasped in surprise at how quickly Link had moved to disarm her. Link said nothing and merely walked over to pick up the stick and handed it back to her.

"Shall we begin again?" Link smiled. Malon scowled; he was enjoying this way too much!

Neither combatant knew how long they had been practicing; the first dozen attempts were horrible. Link had disarmed her quickly and efficiently without any effort on his part. Every now and then he'd smack her on the rump with his shovel; she gasped in shock and irritation at being bested like this continuously. He'd just laugh and set her up again for another round of practice.

Within the hour they were both sweating from the exertion of sparring with each other; Malon's face was in full focus as she took his instruction to heart and tried her best to parry his blows. Link admired her tenacity and found that she was getter better at defending against him; she had yet to take the offensive but was pleasantly surprised at how quick a learner she was. He'd make a good swordswoman out of her yet!

With a final cry of frustration she threw her sword at him and leaped onto Link knocking him to the ground; the air was forced out of him as his back hit the dirt hard compelling his hand to release the shovel he had used as a sword.

"Malon!" He cried as he caught his breath, "You are not supposed to throw your only weapon at the enemy!"

"True," she laughed manically, "but no enemy can resist the tickle!"

Link's eyes shot open in surprise, "What? No!"

It was too late, she had dug her fingers into his sides and armpits; she was attacking him from all angles and sides. He feebly tried to retaliate but she was quick to duck and dodge all his attempts to gain a purchase on the one-sided battle. They spiraled across the floor locked in mortal combat; each of them giggling, laughing and utterly lost in the moment. With one final roll, they slumped to the ground exhausted. Malon didn't bother getting off of him; they both laid there breathing heavily and feeling the sweat trickle down their brows.

Malon raised her head to look at him; he merely smiled back in contentment. Without really aware of what she was doing, she pressed forward and kissed him. It was a titillating shock to Link's system; his body went stiff with the force of its impact. Neither of them had experienced a kiss before. This was something wholly different and foreign to them. Feeling his rejection, she drew back sheepishly, looking into eyes and agitatedly biting her lower lip; wondering if she had made some horrible mistake.

After a few moments of indecision, Link placed a gentle hand on the back of her head and drew her back into the kiss. It was inebriating to him; he had never felt anything like it. Malon's lips were soft and supple; the feel of her mouth on his coursed lightning through his body. They both reveled in the alien feeling together as their attempt to acquire more of it resulted in frantic fumbling of limbs. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he caressed her red hair and back with his hands, drinking in the kiss completely.

Link slowly became aware of something strange happening to him; a small bulge of urgent need was forming in his loins and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Good Goddesses his body was doing odd things! He was clueless as to what to do next; he tried shifting his lower body so as to make himself more comfortable.

Malon started to notice his attraction as well; she didn't quite have a great idea of what happened next either, all she observed was when cows and horses mated. She was aware of what it was but not exactly how it should be utilized. Continuing their frenzy of sharing the kiss, she spread her legs wide and straddled him giving it purchase to get more comfortable. Link practically moaned in appreciation at this act as his member wanted to tear through the very fabric of his tunic and her dress. He didn't know exactly why he thought that; it just felt natural to have it next to her body with nothing in-between.

"Robbing each other's cradles I see." Came a calm voice from behind them.

Malon bounded off of Link forcing a grunt out of him as she dashed into the corner of the stall trying in vain to straighten down her dress. Link lay on the floor propped up on his elbows as he looked up at Impa staring at them both with a look of incredulousness; he didn't even try to hide the swelling under his tunic, he knew they were caught.

"Hmmm," Impa began in calm tones, "and I thought you were raised up better than that Link."

He pointed to Malon, "But she started it!"

Malon shot a look of ire his direction as Impa reprimanded, "Doesn't excuse you Link. As an honorary knight of the Hylian guard, you need to show more restraint than that."

Link rolled over to his side to get up off the ground, "Don't remind me." He grumbled.

Impa shot him a look of disdain, "Get up Link. We need to talk about something important. Once you've finished adjusting your id, come with me."

Link was hurt, even if he wasn't exactly sure what she meant by his id. He trudged out behind Impa like a puppy with its tail between its legs. Impa turned around and pointed at the frazzled Malon still trying her best to blend in with the surrounding walls of the stable.

"Return to your father Malon and stay with him for now. If you obey my commands, I promise you this won't get back to him." Impa directed.

With a humph, Malon stomped off past the two of them and into the midday sun. Impa walked outside and down the path; she didn't have to say a word to Link, it was understood he was to follow without question. They walked through the village and up towards the mountain pass entrance. As they strolled past, Link noticed new things he had not observed before; various carpenters and soldiers were working together to set up barricades and contraptions of war. Some held huge stone rocks in slings; others held gigantic arrow shafts on a crossbow like structure too large for any Hylian to even pick up.

"You know she cares for you deeply." Impa said softly.

Link's attention was diverted from the construction at this, "What? Malon?"

A look of irritation flitted across Impa's face, "No. Princess Zelda."

"Oh." It was all he could say. He wasn't aware Zelda liked him like that. Did she want to kiss him too? Many confusing thoughts swirled through his mind; what exactly happened back there in the stable? He tried to make sense of it himself. His body was a raging surge of hormones but he couldn't exactly understand why parts of him he had little control over. It frightened him a little. What could they have done together? No one ever taught him about girls; he was so muddled about all this!

They stopped at the base of the path just before the guards; they were eyeing him warily since they had orders to stop a boy in green from leaving that day. Impa gazed up at the halo cloud encircling the peak of Death Mountain; it was turning out to be a beautiful fall day and the sun warmed her skin. She turned to Link and knelt down to his level as she placed a hand on each shoulder.

"You are a brave, courageous boy." Impa smiled as he colored at this compliment, "There is a task I wish you to do. I am confident that you can accomplish this. If the stories you tell are true and what you did for the Gorons and Zoras last cycle is any indication, you are more than competent for the task." She paused a bit before continuing, "We need the stones again."

Link cocked his head uncomprehending; she explained, "We already have the Kokiri Emerald. It was a stroke of luck you managed to save Saria who had it with her." Link smiled at that, "We still need the Goron Ruby and the Zora Sapphire."

Link's face turned to one of dread; the Zoras were further south and in the path of the invading army. He would have to face those awful men yet again. Visibly shaken, Impa reassured him with a gentle squeeze with her hands.

"I agree," she said as if reading his thoughts, "visiting the Zoras would be the optimal thing to do first since they are closer to the enemy." She pulled out of her belt pouch a blue ocarina; Link's eyes grew wide at the familiar object. Impa nodded at his understanding, "We need to get to the Master Sword again. I wouldn't entrust this journey to just anyone."

Link's voice wavered, "Can't you come with me? Or maybe send another Sheikah to do this job instead?"

Impa calmly shook her head no, "I'm afraid not. For reasons I can't divulge, me and the rest of the Sheikah must remain here and protect Zelda. I cannot say more than that."

Link nodded his head numbly, "I'm scared Impa. I don't want to see those men again. They simply won't die."

She took the quivering young boy in her arms and held him tight. Oh dear Goddesses, what horrors did this young boy have to witness? So terrible a fate to be so young but to have experienced so much; no child should have to endure the pain Link has gone through. She rubbed the back of his head soothingly as Link sobbed into her shoulder.

"I know little one, I know." She lulled.


	12. Chapter 11 - Preparations

- **CHAPTER 11 – Preparations**

Link looked on worriedly as Impa gently held him back away from the bed. The doctor was looking at the Kokiri intently; feeling her pulse, placing a hand on her forehead and checking other vitals. Saria had taken a turn for the worse that day. The doctor confined her to the bed; not that he had to since she hadn't the strength to move much. It wasn't until she fell out of bed due to lack of muscle strength did they call for the village doctor that evening.

Saria's breathing was weak and her skin sallow; when Link brought in some food for her on a tray she merely turned away, the thought of food simply unsettled her stomach. As the doctor continued his examination with little protest from the Kokiri, Zelda and Link exchanged knowing looks. Is this what happens when Kokiri are ripped from their forest? Do they slowly wither and die? Zelda looked away when a tear started crystallizing at the edge of his eyes; she granted him the serenity to cry in peace without someone staring at him.

With a seasoned sigh the doctor rose up and turned towards Talon and Impa, the other two adults in the room, and simply shook his head. As he walked out of the room, Impa motioned for Talon and Malon to follow suit. Malon wanted to protest and stay in the room with Link but was shushed out into the hallway. She lurched back to get one last glance into the room at Link; all she could see was him staring at his friend slowly dying in the bed before the door closed.

Link didn't bother asking why Zelda elected to stay behind; he was glad at least one other friend chose to stay with him in Saria's time of need. Zelda was sitting on a stool next to Saria's bedside; she adjusted the wick in the lamp on the nightstand so it gave off a little less light. The Kokiri needed as much rest as she could get. The two waited in silence as the last rays of dusk left the room, leaving them in near darkness as the lamp became the sole source of light.

"I always pretended I was one of them." Link said abruptly, Zelda said nothing but turned to listen to him, "Playing through the forest, the trees, the grass; all of our fairies enacting out great, epic battles or just simply playing sticks. There was a time that I was one of them."

"Link," Zelda's heart ached for her friend, "a part of you will always be one of them."

Link nodded absently, "She and I would always sit upon my bed in the tree house and talk about what it would be like to grow older. We wondered if our arms would grow longer than our legs; if we would be as tall as the trees themselves." He smiled at his reminiscing.

"Link…"Zelda began.

He shook his head cutting her off, "But it was I who started getting older." He spoke through gritted teeth, "I started to tower over each of them by almost a head. It was then that I knew I was different. Navi would always tell me otherwise; I couldn't possibly be anything but a Kokiri. She was just saving me the pain of finding out before my time." He placed a hand to his face covering his eyes. "Oh Navi…I have failed you. I couldn't find you."

Zelda rose from the stool and went over to comfort her friend as a sob racked his frame; she embraced him with a hug which he warmly accepted. He held her tight, drinking in her scent of roses and ivy. At length, they parted and he stared into the lamplight before continuing.

"That's not the worse part Zelda," he said gravely, "I no longer have the Triforce of Courage. I know this now."

"Link, I don't understand." She truly didn't. "Is this…a part of the stories you've told me?"

"Yes Zelda! Please believe me! I did go to the future! The Triforce was split; you had a piece, I had a piece and Ganondorf had a piece." Zelda merely hung a smile on her face despite not feeling any reason to smile. Link surged onward, "I tried to prove it to myself that I still had the Triforce of Courage in my body by driving out the Dodongos for the Gorons; by helping the Zoras with Lord Jabu Jabu and his illness; by sneaking through the Gerudo camp undetected and into the Spirit Temple to warn Nabooru of going any further because of the witches. I did all those things. Now I know why," he took a shuddering breath, "because I had done all those things before. There was nothing to be courageous about since I knew I could do all those things."

"That makes sense." Zelda agreed, putting a finger to her chin thinking hard on his story.

"But I came back in time to a place where the Triforce wasn't split. There is no reason for me to have it now! That is why I am so scared of this army Zelda, the Triforce is no longer with me. I…I don't know if I can do this." His lower lip started to quiver.

Zelda's heart broke at her friend's misery, "Link, I think I am now just beginning to understand you. Thank you for being open and honest with me. I truly appreciate it. Maybe you have to earn the Triforce of Courage again?"

Link looked at her inquiringly, "I'm sorry?"

Zelda pressed, "If it is as you say, the Triforce is whole right now and you don't have a piece of it anymore; maybe you must earn it back?"

Link shrugged his shoulders, "I don't think that is how it works. It split when Ganondorf touched it. If it is whole, I do not think it will split if I touch it."

Zelda was about to comment when a rasping voice emerged from the bed, "S…Sor…a."

Link rushed to her side and grasped one of her hands in his own. He leaned over her in concern. Zelda stepped up behind him and looked over his shoulder at the weakened Kokiri.

"Who?" She whispered.

Link held up a hand to silence her, Zelda was about to protest his gesture when Saria spoke again, "So…ra."

Link confirmed it, "It's her fairy. That is the name she is speaking. Did you want us to find her for you?" Saria barely nodded, "Where is she now?"

Link's blood ran cold as she made a motion of slicing across her neck multiple times; Zelda couldn't make sense of it but Link understood perfectly what she meant. That meant Sora was with the army, those who could not be killed. Dear Goddesses, where would he start looking for her fairy in that throng? Link gritted his teeth together and smashed his eyes tight so hard it drew tears; why did it have to be like this? Why was everything so unfair?

"What is it Link?" Zelda spoke with rising alarm, "Where is Sora?"

Link let Saria's hand fall as she slipped back into unconsciousness at the exertion of relaying that information. He slipped down off the bed and walked to the door, motioning for Zelda to follow. They gently shut the door behind them and slowly walked down the hallway of the inn.

"Sora was taken from her and is now somewhere in that massive horde." Link stated matter-of-factly.

Zelda gasped, "Are you serious? How could we find her?"

"I know!" Link snapped. He quickly apologized; he hadn't meant to round on her like that. He was just so frustrated that he could do nothing for his friend. "It's just that I have a mission now to retrieve the Goron Ruby and Zora Sapphire before they land in the hands of the enemy. And now I have this new obstacle of finding a lone fairy in a gigantic mass of men who refuse to die!"

Zelda stepped back a bit as Link slammed a fist into the wall nearby; he let loose an oath as he shook his hand out, massaging the knuckles at his foolish attempt to release his rage. She continued to let him stew a few moments more before walking down the hallway past him. Without question, he simply followed as they descended the stairs to join the others sitting at the dining table on the first floor of the inn.

All of them gazed up at the pair as they seated themselves to the table; Link sat on the other side of Talon opposite Impa. Zelda sat down next to her bodyguard, opposite Malon. Talon was the first to speak up breaking the pervading silence.

"So ya have any good news fer us lad?" He kindly nudged Link sitting next to him.

"No." He said monotonously, "I think she needs her fairy. Sora."

"Where is it now?" Impa queried.

"She is somewhere in the southern Nevachrean army." Zelda blurted out.

Talon spewed his beer clear across the table at this news. Impa deftly dodged from the incoming splatter; Zelda was not so fortunate. Her shirt and breeches were covered in a nice smattering of half-drunk beer. She looked royally pissed at this situation. Malon tried her best to hide her laughter at this turn of events but managed to leak out a snort; Zelda shot her a death glare.

"Dear Goddesses boy! Ya can' expect ta go in there?!" Talon's speech was rising in pitch and incoherent nature.

Impa assisted Zelda from the table, "Excuse me while I help the princess change for the evening. Good night everyone." With one final scowl at Talon, she guided the sputtering Zelda to her quarters.

Talon trailed after them with a weak apology; with a sigh he gave up trying to make amends and turned to the conversation at hand. Taking this opportunity with her father's attention diverted, she slipped around and sat on the other side of the bench next to Link; both apparently rapt with attention at what Link was relaying.

"I don't expect to go there. My heart wants to go find Sora for her. I believe she is the key in keeping her alive. However my mission is far greater," he grimaced at the thought of the mission being more important than his friend, "than just one person. My task is to negotiate with the Zoras tomorrow for the sapphire and as soon as I can, meet with the Gorons for the ruby. Impa said we need the Master Sword."

Talon nodded his head in agreement, "I'll have ta agree there Link. I really feel fer your friend, ya know I do! But we can't have ya going off ta get killed for one fairy."

Link shot him a look that made Talon wilt, "Blimey!" Talon looked outside hastily, "Is it that time already?" He downed his entire mug of beer with a belch; lurching off the bench, he grabbed Malon's hand and practically dragged her down the hall. "Come on Malon, 'tis time fer bed fer ya!"

Link watched as Malon gave him a fleeting glace of helplessness as she stumbled after her father towards their room. So that's it then, Link gathered. He turned back to his food; not feeling altogether that hungry. Knowing he'd need as much strength as possible for the day ahead he proceeded to eat his meal in silence. When the meal was finished he rose and with a nod to the innkeeper, went to his room for the evening.

**-Break-**

Bright and early the next day Link gathered his belongings and began checking them once more. He sifted through his belt pouches and made sure there were several Deku Nuts and seeds in each. He thrust a boomerang he had bought at the village store the day prior into his belt where he could easily reach it in a pinch; on the other side he stuffed a slingshot. A single bomb was clasped to his belt on each hip and his scabbard he threw over his head and adjusted it across his chest. With a curt nod that all was in order, he grabbed his shield by the bed; he slid it into his custom rigged scabbard on his back listening for the click telling him it was locked in place.

Stepping outside Link closed his eyes as the fresh morning air brushed his face. He saddled up on a new fresh colt that had been provided to him for his journey. He was slowly guided it down the path towards the village exit; on either side of the road were citizens and friends he knew. How many people were aware of the task he was setting out to do? Link contemplated if Impa had a hand in it.

Link was passing by the inn as he noticed Malon looking at him imploringly; she didn't want him to leave and they both knew it. She was rooted to the spot with the firm hand of her father, Talon. The man simple nodded in recognition of the man Link was becoming as he set off on this dangerous journey. Approaching the exit, he wasn't surprised when she spoke; for he could hear her coming from several meters away. His adventures had taught him many things and one of them was to pay attention to your surroundings regardless of distractions.

"Link," Zelda shouted, "must you really go alone on this trip?"

Link reared the colt around to give Zelda a penetrating look. She ran up to his horse, clearly out of breath; she was never much on physically exerting herself. For a brief instant, discomfort flashed across his eyes before he could compose his expression. It was but a split second, but Zelda caught it. Just how much pain and suffering will this young boy have to endure before he is safely back home again?

"I've already talked with Impa about that Zelda. She cannot go with me nor can any of the other Sheikah." Link explained. "Right now I just want to warn my friends and reclaim the stones from both the Zoras and Gorons. Besides if I don't go, they may not get any idea of what they are truly up against and be totally unprepared for them."

Zelda pleaded with him, "Why would Impa say that? Can you try asking her again to at least send someone with-"

Link cut her off with a gesture, "She was adamant about this. If you are so curious about why I must go alone, why don't you ask her?"

Zelda shut her mouth promptly at this; she hadn't actually considered that option. She was so fixated on the fact Link was leaving that she hadn't thought to ask Impa why she was letting him go like this.

"I just don't want to lose you again. I don't think I could bear it." Zelda spoke with such sincerity Link's breath caught in his throat.

He sat on the horse aimlessly, not sure of what to say. He couldn't express his feelings for her because he truly didn't know what they were. He knew they were both too young to make any sort of relationship decisions on their own. Instead he simply smiled back at her. Looking up into his sparkling blue eyes, she started to feel tears welling up. In a flash she turned and ran back to the inn, crying the entire way.

Bewildered, Link simply gaped as he followed Zelda up the path into the building. About ready to turn the horse onto its former course, Link stopped short as he saw something at the top of the ridge overlooking the village. A long figure stood at the tree line as if watching him; he could not make out any specific features of the individual. Within seconds the figure turned and was gone.

Shrugging he shifted in his saddle as he rechecked his supplies. With a final sigh and an impatient snort from his steed he headed down the path to the open fields of Hyrule. The crowd watching his departure simply watched in silence as he curved around the bend and was out of sight. They continued staring at the place he disappeared hoping he would be returning any second; in time all onlookers turned to their homes and shut their doors.


	13. Chapter 12 - The King's Folly

- **CHAPTER 12 – The King's Folly**

It was almost noon, but time didn't matter when one was stuck in a prison of rock. Princess Ruto emerged from the water in the corner of her room; droplets glistening as they rained down her body back into the pool. Although Zoras dwelt on the land and could go for long stretches of time without water, they still need to bath in it once in a while to keep their scales moist. Without this constant attention to being damp, a Zora could dry out within weeks and ultimately die.

When Ruto awoke during the night, she discovered they had already placed her in a bedroom and fastened the door tight. It was clearly not her own but it was regal enough for her position; there were many creature comforts left including a nice spongy clamshell of a bed. Though father did not want her to leave, he still didn't want her treated like some common prisoner; despite the fact she truly was one, a hostage in her own house.

Ruto collapsed on the bed helpless to do anything. She had already tried searching for various ways of escaping either using her body or other objects in the room to aid her. All to no avail; she was trapped. Finally succumbing to the creeping sleep she lay on the spongy pillows and thought of the one thing that still meant anything to her, her future husband.

She was so upset that they didn't at least let her keep her precious figurines. She had banged on the door continuously asking for them to be brought to her; all her requests were ignored. The fog of boredom permeated the room as she lost herself in daydreams. Imagining all sorts of rescue attempts by her husband; cradling her in his arms as he whisked her off into the night. She would close her eyes and smile.

Had it been hours? Or days? She couldn't tell anymore. Surely by now someone should have come to deliver her father's wishes? She had certainly been locked in this room long enough. Why hadn't anyone come to get her by now? She had hardly any time to ponder that when she heard a familiar voice arising from beyond her room. She sprung off the bed and placed her head against the door to eavesdrop on the conversation happening on the other side.

"You don't understand! This is urgent! I must see Princess Ruto!" The voice was muffled but sounded very familiar.

"And you don't understand me, you can't see her!" The guard rebutted.

"Don't make me hurt you." The stranger's tone took on a deadly connotation.

"Don't make me kill you." The guard threatened.

Some loud scuffling originated from the other side of the door. Ruto leapt back a few steps when she heard a ringing clang and a crumpled bang on the wall. She heard a body slide off of it and apparently thrown across the hall. After a bit of silence, she heard a jingle of keys and the unlocking click of the door. She braced herself for the worst and crouched in a ready stance; easily able to pounce on the intruder if need be.

The door swung open banging against the rock wall rattling the hinges. In mid-pounce Ruto realized it was Link and her pounce immediately changed into a hug in midair. Her arms connected together around his neck and she knocked him to the floor. She hugged him so tight he was squirming with delight! She took the positive cue and started giving him wet kisses on his cheeks and lips.

"Oh husband!" Kisses, "I knew you'd come for me! You won't believe," more kisses, "my father has gone mad! You don't kno-"

Link desperate to get away from her wet, somewhat slimy body, cut her off. He roughly pushed her off of him; he tried to get up but slipped and stumbled back onto his butt in frustration. Giving up, he just sat there where he fell and glowered at Ruto who was already sitting on her shins with her hands resting in her lap looking lovingly at him.

After examining his now soaked clothes, Link sighed, "A hello would have been nice Ruto."

She girlishly giggled, "Oh, but you don't know how much I've missed you husband!"

Annoyed, "And will you stop calling me that!"

She tried to embrace him again in a hug, but he edged away roughly. She smiled sadly, "But that's what you are dear Link, my one and only husband. You accepting the Zora Sapphire from me only proved this. Now that you are back, you can reclaim it once more and we can finally be one!"

Link was getting agitated; if this kept up she might force him into something he didn't want by sheer force of will. "Ruto, I returned the sapphire to your people, we aren't married."

"Then why are you here?" She cocked her head and looked at him inquisitively.

Link's eyes snapped open as he face palmed himself; of course for the sapphire! How was he going to get out of this one?

With a wretched moan, "I'm here for the sapphire…"

Ruto squealed in delight as she tackled him to the floor again. Amid vigorous protests she showered him with wet, salty kisses. Link was practically gagging; he knew he should have just gone straight to King Zora instead. His personal concern for Ruto clouded his judgment to the task at hand; he was more concerned with how she was doing rather than simply negotiating for the sapphire. Was his kindness to blame for this turn of events?

"I knew it!" She kissed him hard on the mouth, "I just knew you'd come back for me one day! I always hoped and sometimes I dared not believe…but it's finally happening!"

He tried to roll her over so he could get up off of her scaly body but she took it as part of their marriage dance and continued the roll. Link let out a yelp of shock as they somersaulted right into the pool. Link surged up sputtering and tried in vain to escape the shackles of marriage; she merely grabbed his foot and started dragging him back into the water.

"We can say our marriage vows right here in the water! Good thinking Link!" She exclaimed.

Dear Goddesses! This is not how he envisioned this reunion; he had to stop this before it got too far and break her heart yet again.

"Ruto!" Link gasped, "We have no time for these matters. The army is on its way and will be here sometime tonight! I saw their encampments on the way here."

She looked away in grief, "So you're not here to marry me?"

Link closed his eyes and shook his head. Ruto emitted a small cry as she slowly treaded through the water away from him. Why were things never easy? He hated breaking her heart yet again but here he was doing it once more! This time he would be taking the stone that symbolized the marriage covenant but would not be taking her heart with him. He would basically be cheating her out of that happiness.

"I'm sorry Ruto." Link stuttered; this water was cold!

"It's okay," she sniffed, facing away from him, "I should have known better."

Link felt awkward and decided to slowly get out of the water, "I'm going to reason with your father and see if he'll lend me the Zora Sapphire once again."

"You can't Link. He has already made up his mind. He is going to wait out this army from the south and close the borders to his hall. No Zora is to leave." Ruto explained.

"Regardless, I still need to try. Where is the sapphire now?" Link questioned.

Stifling a sob, she emerged from the water and with a nod of her head signaled Link to follow her out of the room. She plodded along the cavern halls numb; the feeling in her heart was near to bursting and she felt her world shattering. What else was there to live for if not for him?

The passages were strangely deserted but Link could hear a cacophony of voices drifting from the royal chamber; he also sensed a lot of bodies up ahead. He quickly looked around briefly to see if there were any other Zoran guards and noticed something odd. Some dark shapes were skirting the edges of the lagoon moving as if trying to remain unseen. He moved forward towards the edge of the overhang to get a closer look but abandoned it when Ruto cleared her throat. With one final glance back he followed her directly into the midst of the entire Zoran community.

There was a hub of noise and activity within the royal chamber; various guards were dashing to and fro with spears, swords and other oddities that resembled weapons. The din died as they began to take notice of their entrance; the chamber became deathly silent. All eyes laid on the two of them as they made their ascent to the royal podium as if to talk to King Zora himself. Link spied the sapphire gleaming in its pedestal at the top of the royal dais. Was it really this easy to steal? It was right out in the open, Link noted.

"King Zora." Link's voice reverberated throughout the room, "Before you do anything rash, I want to let you know that I intend no harm; either to the Zoras or Princess Ruto." The king's gills began to puff up with anger, Link continued, "I have also come to inform you that our enemy from the southern country of Nevachrea cannot be killed. We have to assume every soldier in that horde can come back from the dead, no matter how many times we kill them. Not with ten thousand Zoras could you do this; it is folly."

Furious the king bellowed, "Do not come here and tell me what my legions can or cannot do! We are quite aware of this so called 'army' and we are prepared to deal with it. We have blocked off all routes into the kingdom, so just how then did you get here?"

"Well," Link laughed a bit, "funny that." The king was not amused. "I actually came in from the canyon to the west via the Royal Family pathway. Although I didn't have the ocarina this time; Impa actually kept it with her back in Kakariko village. Now why did she do that?" Link wondered himself as he tapped a finger to his chin.

Link began to ramble stalling for time as plans of how to get the sapphire out raced through his mind, "So without that, you can imagine it was rather hard to get past that powerful waterfall right?" Link noticed several guards making their way behind him; he started blurting words out faster, "I kind of had to attempt a swinging-in style approach…yeah…that sucked." He chuckled meekly.

With a jerk of his head, King Zora signaled to the guards to grab Link and bring him down. With a bound he leaped past Ruto who stood there stunned at his brash action; he snatched up the sapphire and quickly tucked it into a pouch before drawing the drawstring tight. Link crouched low as King Zora's screech could be heard all the way down the cavern shaking the very foundations of their hall.

"Thief! Interloper! You are no friend of the Zoras! You are a Royal Family traitor! Guards kill him!" The king screamed.

Without a second thought Link grabbed Ruto's hand and flew off the podium; splashing into the knee-deep water below the platform. He pointed directly at the king, no longer caring what happened next.

"You are the fool King Zora!" Link yelled and then spit in the water in contempt, "Do not forget this day when you made your last and fatal mistake!"

The king's eyes dilated with malicious intent as the feral side took hold of his senses. With a sucking heave a stream of pure acidic juice spurted from his mouth and trailed after the pair. Link ducked quickly under the boiling flow of green acid as he tightly held Ruto's hand and dashed into the side hall adjacent the royal chamber. Ruto was just as surprised as Link to discover her father had the ability to do that! Could she spit acid if she wanted to?

As they were splashing down the shrinking corridor they heard his roars, "Kill the Hylian! Retrieve my daughter! From this day forth, all Hylians spotted by a Zora will be killed on the spot without mercy! The Royal Family are now enemies of the Zora!"

His threats resonated throughout the cavern as they both leapt off the top of the waterfall into the abysmal depths of Zora hall. To prevent serious injury to Link, Ruto shifted in mid-air to place herself between her husband and the water hurtling up towards them. They smashed through the surface of the water with jarring force; a wave of pain surged through Link's body as he sliced through the depths.

A scream resounded in the water as his view turned crimson. Link surfaced and glanced rapidly around him to find Ruto floating towards the shallow water with a flaming arrow stuck in her side. The fact Ruto had reddish blood only distracted him for a moment when he noticed another hail of arrows sailing through the air. He dove down quickly and observed the arrows' lethal descent stall and stutter in the water.

Upon emerging he beheld Zoras being struck down by fiery arrows left and right. Several were still alive as they burned to a crisp. Their screams were unbearable; Link covered his ears blocking out the screeching that swirled around him. He wanted to scream, cry and release himself like never before; but he couldn't. It was too much!

An arrow zipped by his nose barely nicking it; any closer and it would have killed him. Plunged back into stark reality Link identified the arrow's owner and found several men in greyish-black outfits kneeling on the ledge above the lagoon; raining down a flurry of fire arrows at the Zoras. An outraged boom signified they had reached the royal chamber and were locked in combat with the Zoran forces there.

Swimming swiftly towards the rocky shoreline, he heaved himself up onto the ground just as a swiftly falling Zora fell from above arms flailing. It punctured the surface of the water with a grand splash where it was promptly filled with arrows; Goddesses these men were good marksmen!

Link hurried to Ruto's side, and despite the pain it might cause, ripped the arrow out of her body dousing any flames spreading across her sensitive skin. Her eyes fluttered open as she turned in his direction; she was obviously aware of the pain. He glanced up towards the waterfall and marveled at the accuracy of the intruders; they must have hit her in mid-fall. Perceiving that the battle was moving further away from the lagoon and pushing back up into the royal chamber; Link felt slightly comforted they were not receiving that deadly attention.

He sidled up next to her body and lay beside her; clasping both her hands in his own. He could find nothing to patch the open wound; it was oozing a slightly brown liquid. His gaze flicked in the direction of her eyes as she moaned in pain. She could see nothing but love in those irises. She took and placed a clammy hand on Link's cheek and made a weak attempt to smile but only managed to cringe in pain.

Ruto struggled to breath as she spoke, "Link…I guess my father was right. No Zoras were meant to leave this hall." Link's eyes began to water with tears as she bitterly continued, "All I wanted was to be with you. Why did these men have to come and ruin everything?"

Link simply shook his head; the cavern was being infected with a reddish hue as Zoran blood was spilt across the hall. "I don't know Ruto. I don't know why they do these awful things. Can you move?"

Ruto went into a spasm of coughing as Link attempting to pull her up into a seated position; she just flopped back down with a gasp.

"Link, my dear husband," she grabbed the back of his neck and gently nudged it closer, "keep our marriage ring safe," Link glanced down at the pouch that held the sapphire, "and leave me here. Please tell the others of our fate and of our folly. Maybe they will not be as foolish as we were."

Ruto gingerly pointed to a specific corner of the lagoon indicating a way out, "There is a waterway there that will take you just outside Kakariko village. Please, warn the others."

Link turned to leave when a gentle squeeze of her hand brought him back, "Please husband, I have one final request. Kiss me."

Fighting back tears, Link tried to think of something to say to her but nothing would come to him.

"Kiss me." She repeated weakly.

Looking dejectedly at the dying Zora he leaned over her, prepared to kiss Ruto fully on the lips. Her eyes beheld nothing but him and she waited with baited breath for his touch. Why was this so hard? It was only going to be one kiss and it was done. He inched closer to her lips; practically feeling the shiver from her body as he came closer to sealing a deal he had no idea he was committing to.

Their lips barely touched when Link's hair frayed in the passing wind of an arrow shaft; he flipped over Ruto's body as he dove headfirst into the water. Ruto began to cry as she dully watched her husband swim away and with one final kick, descend into the depths towards the underwater passage. She didn't even bother turning her head when she heard boots stop just beyond her head.

Link struggled through the channel illuminated in sporadic patches of light from incandescent plants. Spying an air pocket he spiked upward and nearly knocked himself out against the limestone ceiling. The air pocket was miniscule; he had to quickly arrange himself so his nose and mouth gulped in the precious air from that minute space. Diving back into the depths he continued along the passageway, swimming by fish and other unknown creatures as he frantically searched for another air pocket.

With a lurch in his heart he spotted one a fair distance down; he began moving towards that safe haven of glorious air. Within a few moments it wasn't getting any closer and his chest was bursting with the urgent requirement to breathe. His kicks got feebler as his vision slowly began getting dark around the edges; he fumbled through the water and lost sight of the air pocket altogether. He ignored the imposing figure swimming up to him and grabbing his tunic roughly.

Just sweet blackness…sleep…


	14. Chapter 13 - Setting the Stage

_My goodness this chapter was a hard one to write. I realized that a chapter was missing and needed to be placed in-between the original 12 and 13 (now chapter 14) to help explain what was to be coming up next. Without this essential exposition, later chapters would get muddled and readers would be lost as to how certain things came about. So...I literally had to make up chapter material without a formal plan in place like I usually do for every chapter thus far! I even had to move the culture exposition of the Gerudo from a later chapter to this one since it made more sense to introduce that here so there would be no questions or explanations later. Whew, with all that out of the way enjoy this chapter! It was worth it!_

- **CHAPTER 13 – Setting the Stage**

It was starting to get dark; the last rays of the sun dwindling on the horizon. The guards kept a watching eye on the perimeter working in shifts throughout the day and night. Crossbows were armed and knocked. Their arrows at the ready awaiting any wanderers or intruders who would dare enter their firing range. The wall was blockaded by stone and mortar; various crates of artillery were stacked up alongside it for lack of anywhere else to place them. Regardless of this formidable obstruction, they still needed to defend the gate to their fortress. The gate commander siphoned off several scouts who were returning to head back to the fortress for rest from their patrols.

The gate commander was not to be taken for granted. She was a woman, like every other person living in the fortress. She wore the standard full body garb that was required of a person in her position. Each guard was adorned with an ivory robe reaching down to their ankles; around their midriff was a simple leather belt keeping it in place. The higher in status one achieved, the more jewels they could set into their belts.

The bottom portion of the robe had far more material than the top portion causing it to billow out the sides of each leg even in moderate winds. It was easily taken off by unclasping the buttons at the back; afterwards they could easily slip out. They wore plain sandals or nothing at all on their feet; many of the women ignored callouses forming on their feet, it only made them tougher in their opinion. To improve their harsh stance and appearance, they would cover their faces with purple sashes strapped around their heads leaving only their eye to glare at trespassers.

She was a Gerudo, an ancient race of thieves consisting mainly of females. For scientific reasons unknown, only one male child was born to the Gerudo every hundred years. That lone male child would become the next Gerudo king. One might wonder how a child might be born to a race of all women, but the solution is pretty obvious. The leader would choose who was to bear the child and that woman would then go out to the nearby provinces and steal a husband. They would take their prisoner groom back to the fortress and mate with them many times; within nine months she would give birth to a baby boy. That was being hopeful. If it was a girl, it didn't matter, just another apprentice to the Gerudo culture. No one outside of the Gerudo was quite clear what they did with the stolen men after that.

These apprentices wore plain, drab, white clothing worthy of their stature. They were the lowest on the totem pole, second to even children. They were forbidden to cover their faces until they had earned the respect of their peers. It was during these apprentice years where they would be subjugated to the other women for pleasure. After all, there were no men around. When they weren't pleasing their superiors in carnal bliss, they would be tasked with mundane chores such as cleaning the fortress and tending the horses; the Gerudo took great pride in their marksmanship on horseback and regularly held tournaments for the best archer in the community.

Then there were the elders of the Gerudo tribe of which there can only be six at any one time. Each of these women wore attire similar to that of the regular guards but instead of ivory tones, each woman wore fabric dyed in the color of their choice; most of them choosing shades of purple and red hues. Each elder had a specific set of ancestral scimitars that were passed from one woman to the next; each woman cared for her weapons well, they made sure they were exceptionally sharp and deadly.

The most interesting aspect of these elders was the inlaid jewels carved into each of their foreheads. Elaborate frame designs of purest gold was cut into their flesh and pushing far into their hairline, set in these mounts were rubies of the most scintillating sheen. Each elder undergoes this painful procedure willingly for it is the lifeline of order and command. With these elaborate ruby fixtures, the six elders can communicate telepathically across great distances with each other and with their current king; this single fact is the best kept secret of the Gerudo. No races outside of their own realize this key tactical advantage they can access.

The gate commander spied the twinkling lights across the southern plains and flicked a hand in the direction of the nearest guard; with a quick motion of her fingers she relayed the message without uttering a word. Within seconds the guard slinked off into the shadows of the barricade as the commander waited patiently for the result. Within a scant few minutes, Nabooru leaped down from nowhere and landed with perfect grace on the brick wall. She stood up and looked towards her commander for details.

Nabooru was currently the highest ranking female on the elder council of the Gerudo and very well respected. She had gained her position through intense training and leadership abilities. It was said that her skills with the scimitar were unparalleled and no one except for Ganondorf, their king, could match. She wore a lavish set of deep violet pants that bulged around her legs giving an impression of fullness; strings of gold were embroidered in the fabric in vertical lines. The ruby emblazoned on her forehead glinted off the nearby torch fires.

Unlike most elders, Nabooru dared to be different; instead of a full covering robe, her upper body sported a cloth wrap of like color to her pants wrapped around her breasts leaving her midriff and arms bare. Her dark skin was offset by her flaming red hair that reached to the small of her back; she preferred it tied into a ponytail and then locked into position by a simple, metal clasp. Her forest green eyes could pierce stone and her face was without blemish. Nabooru was the perfect woman to many a man she had stolen.

"My lady," the gate commander began, "there are firelights on the horizon just south of the ranch on the plains. The army is surging northward to Hyrule Castle. There is no indication they are headed west at this time."

Nabooru nodded and walked up to the parapets gazing over the fields. She extended a hand as a scope was delivered to her; she brought it to her eye and viewed in greater detail the mass traveling northward. Even at this distance it was hard to make out individual troops, so condensed this army was. That was no way to force an army to march. She collapsed the device onto itself with a scoffing huff; she turned to her commander and threw her the scope.

"Keep me informed commander of any changes to their movements in our direction." She ordered.

With a nod the commander resumed her patrol of the wall as Nabooru leapt down to the sand below. With a flash of pain she hit the ground in a tumble; she quickly righted herself in a roll before shakily getting up to her feet. She glanced up to the upper ridges of the fortress to Apolloni, another elder. With a confirming glance she knew she had felt it too; it was Ganondorf's thoughts within their rubies. He was communicating but not with them. With a savage snarl, she knew exactly who was intercepting his messages; she should have killed them when she had the chance!

**-Break-**

They had yet to take the castle, let alone the town; he knew that much from sitting in the dank cell. It was mostly pitch black but he had no need for manufactured light sources. With a hint of magic at his fingertips he was able to see quite clearly in the dark. He shifted comfortably in his sack cloth overalls as he patiently awaited his summons; they would be here soon enough.

A blast of air blew down the prison corridor heralding their entrance; a grin spread across his face. He hadn't been entirely sure if they would have heard him from such a distance. Now that they were here they could talk about matters important to the future of the Gerudo and ultimately his ambitions. He leaned back against the wall, one leg situated on his knee as he waited for them to reach the end of the prison corridor. The pitter patter of their feet was drowned out by their hushed whispers; each talking over the other trying to get a word in. It seemed both were unsure of what they were doing here at all.

As they rounded the bend and looked into his cell, Ganondorf casually turned his head to view them, "Good evening witches." He spoke with an air of childish defiance.

"You do not talk to your mothers that way!" screeched the female on the left with a blue crystal engraved on her head.

"We raised you from a crying babe, now a king of the Gerudo! Have some respect!" demanded the female on the right with a red crystal engraved on her head.

Each woman was dressed in ceremonial garb with intricate designs of blue, brown and grey; atop each head was fixed a turban with matching prints as their clothes. Both had a long crook nose and eyes that were fixed slightly further apart from the bridge of the nose as to look ghastly to any normal Hylian. Their age was undeterminable as their wrinkles could attest; their faces and hands shriveled images of their former selves.

Ganondorf snorted at this reprimand; he did not need these witches telling him what to do. He stood up from his bench and walked over to talk to them directly. Each witch looked up into his face for he towered over them; neither one of them could have been more than 4 feet tall. They didn't mind his imposing figure for to them he was still the child they had raised.

"I summoned for you to help me with a task that must be done here in Hyrule." He commanded the two witches.

The blue crystal witch cackled, "It seems he wants us to help him in his time of need Koume!"

The red crystal witch chuckled, "It seems our young child has lost the memory of his powers Kotake. He can't seem to get himself out of a measly cell!"

Both witches were laughing at his expense; with a flurry of energy he blasted the cell bars outward in a concussive blast. The witches had only a split second to erect a barrier to shield them from the destructive force emanating from their child. They slammed into the opposite wall with a grunt. Struggling to pick themselves off the ground they turned to each other for support as they trembled up onto their feet.

"What a nasty child he is," Kotake accused, "to hurt his poor mothers this way."

"Maybe we should simply leave him." Koume offered, "He seems to be doing fine on his own."

Ganondorf turned their feet to stone as they struggled to apparate into the air; he looked down on them in disgust as he spoke in a low, menacing tone, "You are only surrogates. You were never my real mothers. I took the magic you taught me and made it my own." The two witches groaned in pain as the stone encroaching around their feet got tighter; they looked up at their rebellious son with disbelief.

"We taught you everything you know about the dark arts!" Kotake pointed out.

"Is this how you treat your teachers who poured their hearts into you?" Koume pleaded.

Ganondorf smirked at this in disdain, "I'm sure you did." With a thrust of his arm and a cry from the witches, he broke them free of their rocky bondages with a crack and hovered them inches from his face.

"You may have been my teachers, but I am still your king." He pointed out with obvious malice, "You will obey your lord and do as I say."

Without another word he dropped them to the ground; each witch hurting in various places and making horrible sounds as if to garner sympathy that clearly wasn't coming. When the two had finished their complaining he began to stride down the hall. Each witch took this as a command to follow their king; they each fabricated a broom out of the ether and rode alongside each other just paces behind Ganondorf as he led them out of the prison.

"Now is the time to strike, just as they are reaching the castle gates." Ganondorf stated plainly. Both witches looked at each other in confusion.

"The Hylian army has all but abandoned this hovel my lord." Kotake pointed out.

"They would not return for fear of the Nevachrean army. There is no point in claiming this kingdom." Koume agreed.

Ganondorf quickly backhanded one of the witches off her broom; he did not see or care which. He had always hated how they treated him in the past. "Hyrule is still my conquest. It always has been. I will not let some upstart army that we have been fighting against for centuries claim what is rightfully mine."

Kotake assisted her twin up onto her broom as she warbled, "But is it not late now to be claiming something that has already fallen?"

"I agree dear sister. The Nevachrean army already has their foot in the door. What can we do?" trilled Koume.

Ganondorf stepped out of the spiraling staircase and into the cold marble hall of the castle. He took one look at the guard who had just woken from sleeping against the wall. With a jolt he raised his spear but was vaporized on the spot as Ganondorf swept past his ashes. He huffed as he looked around the pitiful preparations to defend a place that has long since been abandoned. With a shake of his head he continued onward towards the palace gates.

"There is but one thing I do not wish them to have." Ganondorf explained, "That is the Master Sword. I have done research on the valuable artifact and I truly believe it holds the key to accessing the Triforce. There are too many chess pieces on this board but this is one I can control now."

"You can't surely be protecting something that can harm you my lord?" Kotake queried.

"The pure, holy energies entombed within the blade would surely tear your body apart!" Koume warned.

Ganondorf grunted his displeasure at their lack of fore sense, "You two are short sighted beyond belief. No wonder my mission failed here at the castle. You witches did not have the sense to see the danger a lone boy could pose to our plans!"

"That is not right to accuse us of my lord Ganondorf!" Kotake skirled affronted.

"We did not know such a thing as a time traveling boy was possible!" Koume let slip.

Ganondorf rounded on them swiftly, bearing down on them with his penetrating gaze, "Time traveling? You knew what had happened and did not venture to tell me?" He violently pointed to his red ruby carved into his forehead. "We could have alleviated the problem if you two had taken the initiative and warned me of that possibility."

With a gust of wind, he blew them off their brooms; they each hit the ground with a withered crunch. The witches were not used to such treatment but they dared not disobey their king; they also found it hard to be fully venomous to their own child they had raised.

Ganondorf with witches in tow headed down the path into the town plaza; guards and citizens were vaporized with dark energies if they dared cross his path. Kotake and Koume joined in by freezing hapless villagers and burning houses down with their magic; it seemed Ganondorf didn't care, so why should they?

Ganondorf presently stopped in front of a magnificent structure, the Temple of Time. Its white spires reached into the sky as if grasping for glory; its façade dressed in cathedral like tones. Stain glass windows were embedded at intervals throughout its frame. This sacred place held the Master Sword; a sword said to be evil's bane and kissed by the Goddess Hylia herself.

"Koume. Kotake." He gestured them near to him. "Assist me in placing the aura around this building. Use me again as the pivot point of the spell."

"What would that serve?" Kotake interrogated him.

"There are already protective barriers in place anyway." Koume added.

With a deep breath to control his bubbling rage he clarified, "I leave nothing to chance. There may be protective barriers around the Master Sword but they are scattered across the land and I know not where they are. Too many variables to control; this will be one variable I can govern. Now lend me your power to do for me what you've done for my ancestors. Erect the aura."

The witches looked at each other; each wondering if the other would put a stop to this madness. With a shrug of their shoulders they consented to do Ganondorf's wishes. With a flourish, they began to draw cryptic circles of magic in the air; their chanting started from a low moan that grew into a fever pitch as they continued drawing their dark symbols into the circles. Ganondorf started to feel the energy seep into his feet and crawl up his body until he gripped it in his heart. With a forceful scream he released the magic into the air as a dome of pure malevolent energy visibly descended around the Temple of Time.

Hands and knees on the ground, he panted in exertion at the spell they had just cast. He could feel the tug of his heart strings as the aura pulsated both in front of him and inside his body. Nothing would get inside that barrier with him still alive; they would have to kill him first. He pulled himself to stand and smiled at the two witches at his accomplishment.

"You have grown stronger my child…my lord!" Kotake began but changed her term of endearment as Ganon shot a look at her.

"I remember when you were weak with sickness for a week of your first aura casting." Koume reminisced.

"That doesn't matter." Ganondorf waved his hand, "The first step is complete. We must hurry if my plan is to succeed."

With a motion of his hand the witches trailed after him as they strode out unchallenged through the town gates into the field; leaving behind piles of ashes, ice sculptures and a few flaming buildings.


	15. Chapter 14 - Switching Gears

- **CHAPTER 14 – Switching Gears**

Link arose from the small pond near Kakariko Village sputtering and sopping wet. His clothes had been stained a filthy color of red, but that didn't matter now. That was twice that Link had encountered that horrific army and twice he barely escaped with his life. With gritted teeth he realized that he had to leave someone behind again. He crawled forward a few feet and wretched the contents of his stomach before slumping to the ground in exhaustion. He had lost his horse and all the supplies. Without a further thought, he started crying.

Link was not sure if he had gone mad or if the world had; he just wanted the deaths of his friends to stop. His ears pricked up at a rustling behind him. With the finesse gained from the years of his adventures, he swooped up onto one knee and looked around for the source of the sound. Seeing nothing he drew his sword out of a scabbard that wasn't there. He suddenly realized that his sword must have washed away while swimming through that tunnel; he cursed his luck. Without sword, or shield or any supplies he was practically defenseless.

Link heard the rustling again but it sounded more like a splash; his ears perked up even more as he tried to scan the gloomy environs. The sky had started to brighten with the coming dawn, yet it was still dark as pitch near the water pool and the overhanging tree line. He eyed the shadows closely and thought he saw the shape of a person in the water until he blinked. It was gone. He shivered with an unknown dread but shook it off and sprung to his feet.

Link glanced around to orient himself with his surroundings; it was clear he was on the high ridge overlooking Kakariko. Off to his right was the windmill; the inn's rooftop directly beneath him. Directly ahead towering off in the distance was the imposing Death Mountain. Even at this early hour, the village was alit with action; people were running to and fro setting up the trebuchets and ballistae at strategic points across the village. Wooden blockades were placed at the entrances to the town as civilian soldiers manned their stations. There seemed to be both boys and girls his age suited up for battle; what had this world come to?

With a sidelong glimpse he assessed the steep cliff face and decided it best to scale down it rather than making the leap onto the rooftop; the last thing he needed was an injured leg from a nasty fall. The first beams of sunlight flitted across his body as his feet finally touched down on the slats of the rooftop. He walked over to the edge and peered over to see who was below and was surprisingly relieved to find Impa standing there watching the proceedings of the village.

"You can come down any time Link." She offered without even looking up at him.

With a kick to the nearby hay bale she positioned it so he would have a soft landing pad to fall on. With a shake of his head admiring her natural awareness he leapt off the roof; he hit the hay and rolled off to the ground. After dusting himself off she glanced over in his direction; she noticed he had lost everything except a few pouches on his belt, a boomerang and a single bomb.

"You seem to have gone through hell." She noted appraising his stained clothes.

"At least I came back!" Link shot back, this drew a smirk from Impa. Flippant as always; probably why she liked him so much. He didn't beat around the bush.

"So," Link gestured to all the contraptions being wheeled into place, "what is all this for? Isn't this a bit…lacking?"

"It is all we have." Impa stated flatly, arms crossing. "The ballistae," she indicated the huge crossbow-like contraptions "are aimed at the likely entry point to the village that they will take. A single shaft can skewer a dozen men in a row.

Impa began heading down the path to inspect the other machines of war; Link simply followed her. She pointed off to her side at a trebuchet perched on a high hill of the village, "The other Sheikah have calibrated each one of those to hurl boulders across the ridge and onto the open plain at the foot of the hill. More of like a fire and forget device but we are certain that there will be deaths with this weapon."

Link marveled at how quickly the carpenters and local craftsman built these machines and the manpower it took to place them in key positions around the town. The pair came up to the spiked wooden barricades blocking the entrance to town and gazed up at the sign framing the town gate. How long had that symbol of welcome been here to invite travelers to Kakariko? How much longer would it stand?

Impa spoke before the question sprang to Link's mind, "We have very few soldiers left and those are manning the ballistae and trebuchets for these children haven't the strength to operate them."

Link regarded the diminutive soldiers guarding the barricades; one looked in his direction with fear in her face. Goddesses, these were all kids!

Impa placed a hand on his shoulder, "Necessity brought us to this point; do not worry we have trained them up well these past few days." She pointed up towards the bluffs surrounding the village, "My Sheikah taught them. The remainder of my clan is on the rooftops with bows and the rest are guarding the upper passes to the town and will kill on sight any man who attempts to enter by means other than the one we have prepared for them."

Link had to admire Impa's tactical prowess; she was doing a lot with very little to secure this place. They turned from the frightened child soldiers and strode back up the path to the central square of the village. He hadn't seen hide or hair of his other friends; were they all still inside the inn safe and secure? He wanted to ask but Impa interrupted his thoughts.

"Well, you were successful with retrieving the sapphire?" she tailored the statement to sound like a question.

With a stagger, Link quickly filtered through his pockets and pouches and quickly drew out the Zora Sapphire from one of them. A sigh of relief came over him; at least something went right for once. Impa simply nodded her head in appreciation; she knew he was capable of accomplishing the task. To prevent losing it, he quickly dropped it back into its pouch and refastened the drawstring.

With a start she reminded him, "Then we haven't the time to waste. You need to immediately proceed up the mountain and reclaim the Goron Ruby from the Gorons. Follow me. We need to resupply you for the journey."

"Can I see Saria, Malon and-?" Link's inquiry was cut off with a shake of her head.

"I'm sorry Link," Impa's voice softened with regret, "there simply is no time. The army is almost upon us and should be here within the hour. The sooner we set you off on your way, the better."

Link swallowed a knot in his throat as he nodded in agreement; he had longed to see their faces one more time before it all came crashing down. Link blankly went through the motions as he selected a new sword, shield and other supplies that would assist his travels. The store keeper merely waved a hand at payment; "It wouldn't have mattered anyway today" he said.

Impa gave one last quick nod to Link as she went back down the path to belt out more orders for their defense. Not feeling altogether brave, Link checked his equipment one last time; he shifted his scabbard uncomfortably, he was not used to having a sword dangle from his hip. It felt awkward and threw him off balance. Readjusting his pouches he set off up the hill towards Death Mountain.

Impa glanced back one last time to see the courageous boy scaling the mountain path and smiled inwardly. With a heavy sigh, she turned to the task at hand as silence descended upon the town. Minutes passed. A bird chirp or a random cricket trilling was the only sound to be heard in the deathly quiet plaza. Waiting for the end to come became unbearable for some; several cries and gasps came from the children as the glooming pall hovering over the town suffocated their senses.

Impa's countenance softened; she was preparing to offer words of strength and comfort when a quick flash from the cliffs above directed her attention. The Sheikah along the bluffs had spotted the first regiment of men scaling the mountain pass; a further signal indicated they were within range. With a yell Impa raised a hand to notify the trebuchets; all men stood at the ready awaiting her signal.

The children heard them first; the war cries of men and clinking of solid armor. A great multitude of boots pounding the ground, making the earth beneath them tremble. Several of the young soldiers whimpered; another was ashamed as he stood in a pool of his own urine. The first wave of soldiers rounded the bend as the defenders witnessed death coming for them. A cry of malice went up amongst the battle-hardened men as they surged ahead towards the flimsy barricades.

With a spiteful yell Impa sliced her head down through the air, "FIRE!"

Two ballistae let loose their immense arrows into the massive throng; skewering groups of men to the rock walls. Rocks were hurtling through the air above them as they cleared the cliffs and fell onto the unsuspecting troops at the base of the pass. Blood spurted from the open wounds of those punctured by arrows fired from Sheikah archers mounted on the rooftops. Several of the men were already reloading the ballistae as the trebuchets continued to rotate on their hinges.

The first wave continued undaunted and slammed into the barricades with the fury of a tsunami; several men got trampled by those that came after them, pierced through by the spikes jutting out from the columns of wood. Several of the children fought valiantly; few even managed to kill an enemy or two being cut down themselves. The Sheikah surrounding the high peaks encircling the village were engaged in a pitched battle with several assassins who were just as well trained in the shadow arts.

A jolt of surprise coursed through Impa as the unthinkable happened; slowly over the rise of rock she saw the boulders they had catapult over the bluffs slowly float into the air. Strapped to each stone was a mass of crushed, deformed, and bloodied bodies of the troops they had slain with it. After a moment's hesitation, the boulders surged down into the town as the defenders scattered screaming insanely. One landed in the plaza as two others took out the upper trebuchets.

Cries of terror emerged from the din as people started noticing the corpses attached to the boulders slide off and begin to move; the few men the children did cut down were getting back onto their feet and advancing. Impa closed her eyes for she knew it was over the moment the villagers laid eyes on what they were up against. All hope for an organized defense was shattered as people fled for their lives; some couldn't get away in time as they were stabbed in the back by the coming horde.

Impa let loose a curt whistle as the nearby Sheikah converged on her position. With several flicks of her hands she directed each to their pre-assigned duties. Within seconds they were gone, they melded into the shadows as Impa dashed up to the inn. She hoped they had bought Zelda and Talon enough time to prepare.

She skidded to a stop at the door as Zelda was exiting the building with a satchel carried around her chest; Talon was close behind with a weakened Saria cradled in his arms. It seems they had bought them enough time for their escape. Impa saw that Malon was missing.

"Where is your daughter?" She shot at him.

Talon looked distressed but brushed off the severity of her question, "She said she was only gonna be a min'. Said she had ta get somethin' from her room." At this, a few moments of silence descended upon the small group; Zelda idly watched the glow from the emerald around Saria's neck gently illuminate her sickly features.

It was Talon who broke the silence first, "So we are just gonna leave these folks ta their deaths?"

Impa regarded his question, wondering if it was an accusation, "We've no choice. This venture was doomed to failure from the start. Our goal as Sheikah is to see to it that Princess Zelda is safe." She stared at Talon directly in the eyes to make sure there was no misunderstanding, "Everything else is secondary to that primary goal."

Zelda looked confusedly from Talon to Impa, "What are you saying Impa?"

"She's sayin'," Talon spat with mustache bristling, "That none of these villager's lives are worth more than dirt. What about Malon n' me? What about Saria? Aren't we just as important as any of them?"

Impa silenced him with an undercurrent of menace in her tone, "We do not have time for this discussion. We need Saria for the Emerald she carries; a Kokiri must willingly part with it for it to be of any use to us. You and your daughter are welcome to come if you wish or," she gestured to the chaos erupting behind her, "you can join them in death. You decide."

"I don't understand…" Zelda began anxiously.

"There will be a time to explain all this, but right now is not that time." Impa uttered.

With a snap of her fingers, several Sheikah leapt down from the air and formed a circle around their small group. A Sheikah lifted Zelda onto her back and dashed in the direction of the windmill; Zelda wrapped her arms tightly around the Sheikah's broad shoulders. She was astonished to realize that a man was carrying her! She had never given much thought to the fact that there would be male Sheikah; she had only ever interacted with Impa and other females.

The rest of the group followed suit with Talon bringing up the rear; puffing at the exertion, he managed to keep up decently with the rest of the Sheikah who were quickly outpacing him. Out of the corner of his eye a soldier was screaming a war cry, charging with a spear aimed directly at his heart. He began to call for help when a Sheikah hurled in from his left and smacked the assailant's legs out from underneath him; before he even had a chance to fall to the ground, another Sheikah soared from above with a three pronged weapon of unknown origin slicing the man completely in half. Both chunks hit the ground with a squelch before the man knew what had happened.

Leaving the cursing man behind they stopped presently at the windmill and Impa ushered them all inside. One of the other Sheikah opened a panel in brick wall of the interior and depressed a knob within the recess. A section of brick withdrew into the wall and then swung wide revealing an underground passage lit by spitting torches. Impa sent Zelda and the other Sheikah on ahead; Zelda gave one last glance back at Talon and Saria before taking the hand of the woman next to her and running down the passage.

"Now hold a minute!" Talon fumed, "My daughter, Malon, is still out there! We must go back fer her!"

Impa glanced in the direction of another Sheikah who promptly divested Talon's arms of Saria and proceeded to carry her gently into the secret path. Talon stammered at this insult to his abilities to properly take care of Saria. He walked straight up to Impa and waggled a finger in her face; she remained stoic and impassive at his fury.

"Look 'ere lady! We 're gonna go back fer my daughter! She is defenseless out there!" He raged in her face.

Without skipping a beat, Impa rebutted, "Then go find her. My objective is clear and neither you nor your daughter fit into our plans."

The sound of the battle raging outside was getting louder; the screams of the women were unbearable. Goddesses, did they simply rape them on the battlefield where they stood? What kind of animals were these men?

"They are getting closer Talon." Impa said flatly. "Make your choice."

With that she spun around and began lighting a bomb at the entryway to the passage; she gave one last impassive look at Talon then rushed down into the tunnel after her brethren and their precious charge.

Talon bit his nails as he stood there undecided of what to do. Malon had not meant to delay that long in the inn; just what in blazes did that girl have to get from her room? He took one step to the door, intent on going after his daughter when he leaped back as a body thudded against it from the other side. A blood-curdling scream was cut short as a sword sliced through the door just feet away from his belly. With a loud shuck the sword was drawn out of the body and door; a burbling sound was heard as whoever it was slid down the side.

Without a second thought Talon was rushing down the passageway with tears flowing from his eyes. The bomb exploded behind him caving in the windmill so that none could follow. Talon said a quick prayer to the Goddesses to keep his daughter safe. Wherever she was…Malon was on her own.


	16. Chapter 15 - Captured

_One of my longest chapters! Hope you all enjoy it! There may be a delay of a few days before the next chapter, so hang tight!_

- **CHAPTER 15 – Captured**

Malon reached the top of the incline late in the day; the sun had already begun to glow red when she hopped off her horse as she ridged the top of the ridge. She strapped on a backpack filled to the brim with food and supplies alongside several weapons and a shield. She almost fell back from the immense weight of the load. However, with effort she remained steady and regained her balance.

With a short laugh she gave a quick pat to the horse, "I think I have just a little more respect for you my friend."

The horse nickered its reply as she stroked it one last time. Hopefully it would find a better home now that it was finally free. Malon had been instrumental in evacuating the remainder of the horses from Kakariko; Impa got her and other assistants up early in the morning and prepositioned horses at the other end of the secret passage through the windmill. She had a hunch they would need a clean escape and Malon was happy to oblige in establishing all horses at the exit of the tunnel. It took most of the early morning to guide the injured Epona through the passage but she made it through all right.

When she got back to the inn she packed her belongings in preparations to leave at a moment's notice. She hastily made an excuse to her father to sneak out the back with her heavy burden; she leaped down out of the window and landed smack on her face as she fumbled with the weight of her pack in midair. After much fumbling she rallied the horse she had tethered in the chicken pen behind the inn and slung her pack over its flank. With a quick look at the village entrance she saw men surging the barricades; she gave a swift kick to the horse's flanks and vaulted it towards Death Mountain pass.

Now all she could see of the village from this vantage point was billowing smoke clouds rising from multiple locations within the town. A dull roar of men, cries, screams and other unknown sounds slowly rose from the canyon far below her. A shudder coursed through her body when she realized how deathly close she came to being caught in that vortex. She didn't know how much time she had left but her goal was to catch up with Link and assist him in any way she could.

Malon lumbered back over to the horse under the weight of her pack and unloaded the rest of the excess baggage and tossed it to the side; she didn't realize how much she had brought, it was way too much for her to carry. She felt bad for the horse having to lug all the junk she forced it to transport. She slapped its rump and watched it gallop off toward points unknown; she prayed that it found some secluded spot away from all this madness. She sighed deeply before grabbing a backpack strap in her hand and started up the mountain.

Perspiring from the effort of scaling the steep face of the mountain, Malon took great care in making sure she didn't slip on the loose gravel and dirt littering the path. Proud of herself for being so brave she continued higher when she heard a sharp crack of a twig bounding off the rock walls. She spun around looking for someone following her but saw nothing. For a bone-chilling moment, Malon through she saw a dark shape in the shadows, but she blinked and it was gone. Nervously she decided to resume her upward march until she heard a whisper of her name.

She twirled around frightened, "What do you want? Who are you? Show your face!"

Nothing but the wind replied; silenced confronted her with an absolute realization, she was being followed. Malon began to panic as the beating of her heart began to pound out of her chest. She turned to scramble up the steep incline and smashed her pack against the granite wall as she looked in all directions for her pursuer. With her back against the rock face she scanned the environs for any trace of what was following her; nothing moved within her sight.

She sunk to the dirt and bunched her knees to her chest. She cradled them with her hands and started crying. What if those evil men were already on their way up the mountain? What if they caught her? What unspeakable things would they do to her? Why had she decided to follow Link anyway? It was a stupid, stupid idea! She should have just gone along with her father and escaped the village than put herself in harm's way by following Link.

Another sharp crack of a rock being thrown down the cliff face above her made her leap away from the wall with a squeal; she started running frantically up the hill without any idea of where she was ultimately going. Her only thought was to put distance between herself and whatever monstrosity was following her. Stumbling several times, she picked herself back up and dove behind a rocky pillar and curled up into a fetal position.

Her heart was thumping against her ribs as she tried to control her fear. It was starting to get dark and it would be harder to see where she was going, let alone anything jumping out at her. She started whimpering at her decision to follow Link. It was so stupid! With one last body racking breath, she swallowed hard and tried to calm herself. She pushed herself off the ground and took one tentative step after another towards what looked like a cave entrance.

She slowly drew a sword from her pack; she promptly dropped it to the ground at its weight. Maybe she should have gone for one of the smaller swords? Struggling to heft the sword, she managed to hold it aloft with both hands on the hilt. She edged forward with sword ahead of her when a intake of breath from her left caused an instant reaction from her; she swung with all her might towards the unknown shadow and watched her sword flash in the dying sunlight as it hurled through the air landing several paces away. She slumped to the ground in exhaustion at just one swing of the heavy-handed sword.

Link stepped out of the shadows to greet her with a cautious look, "You still need to work on your stance."

Malon slammed her fists onto her thighs, "Oh, you're horrible!"

Link glanced around quickly for anyone else before continuing, "Is it just you? Why are you here? Did anyone follow you?"

Everything was coming at her so fast; relief at finally meeting up with Link, swirling thoughts at the barrage of questions he was shooting her with, and the terror of a possible stalker down the path. She began crying in utter release at finally having someone there to share her isolation with.

Link walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder as he set down his sword and knelt, "For one, don't always go for the biggest sword." He chuckled a bit as she shot him a dirty look, "I'm just glad you are safe. It doesn't seem things are going too well down there in Kakariko."

Malon merely nodded her head at his observation; they were both positive it had gone sour for the populace and that the village was lost. They would ultimately need to find an alternate route back to safety. He assisted in stripping her of her backpack and tossed it onto his back; it was a better fit for him anyway. Relieved of the gargantuan weight, she was able to stand up more easily.

"Come on," he smiled as he took her hand in his, "might as well make yourself useful and accompany me to the Gorons."

Malon smiled at this as they continued onward towards the looming cave entrance. Link was slightly on edge she could tell; he was always on alert shifting his eyes all around looking for potential threats. The fact that there was not a single Goron in sight on their way into the city did nothing to allay his fears. As soon as they stepped into the entry hall, the usual crashing sound of various rolling Gorons was uncannily absent. Guiding Malon, they edged around the main room which was roughly the size of Hyrule Castle's main hall. It was a huge chamber but the reddish hue that usually permeated it was no more; only a dim gloom remained.

"So they have taken the Goron Ruby with them." Link said with considerable relief as he looked at the empty dais near the ceiling at the center of the chamber.

Slowly they made their way down the multitude of stairs to the bottom floor; each landing opened up into the main chamber where one could look down from the highest point and see each floor below. He had come to warn them of the incoming army but it seemed the work had been done for them; now all he had to do was figure out where they had taken the ruby.

They stepped through a massive doorway carved into the limestone rock and entered a small side chamber. Link was surprised to see two torches still lit within the room. The chamber was sparsely decorated with a few tattered carpets and tapestries along the walls; the majority of the decor was the drawings painted directly onto the rock by the Gorons themselves. Link almost didn't notice a piece of paper lying on the bench lining the far wall; he dashed over and snatched it up to read its scrawl.

"Dear Sworn Brother, for some reason I knew you would be the one to come here and read this letter. I want to assure you that we are safe, a delightful Sheikah female passed by earlier and warned us. We are taking refuge with our kin in the far eastern mountain ranges of Xaagar. It is several moons away but we feel supremely confident that the army cannot reach us within the snowy blizzards of these mountains. I wanted to entrust the Goron Ruby to you but too much is at risk. So instead I am including a map with this letter showing you our location so you can come find us and claim it should you ever need to. I am sorry to not be there in person to tell you of these grave matters, but escorting my people to safety is my priority. When you grow up and become a man, be sure to come to me to introduce your lovely new wife. I would love to see you once again. I wish you the best of luck. Your Sworn Brother – Darunia. P.S. I left a nasty present to those fools who would come to claim the Ruby, best not to wake it!"

Gorons were a hardy folk that seemingly grew from the earth itself. They were made mostly of rock and stone but were sentient. They had hard shells for their heads, backs and outer arms and legs; the only parts that were remotely soft were their faces, stomachs and inner portion of their limbs. Each Goron was uniformly brown but the multitude of rock plate structures that adorned their backs separated them and distinguished who they were as an individual.

Darunia was the greatest of the Gorons, being their king and all. His back platelets were exorbitant for even a Goron; they protruded as devastating spikes rather than flat shell surfaces. He had several solid horns sprouting from his head which gave him a regal look; Link always did think it resembled a natural crown for the Goron.

Late last cycle, Link returned from the future and plunged deep into Dodongo's Cavern which was the source of their primary dietary staple: obsidian. He cleared out single-handedly every Dodongo in that cavern and opened it up to the Gorons once more. Since then he was a sworn brother to their king, Darunia. He became welcome to their hall and earned unquestioning support from any Goron he encountered thereafter.

Link warmly smiled at the letter and the trust Darunia had placed in him by providing the map; Goddesses it was a long trek though! He folded the note and map and put it into a fold of his tunic; he was curious as to what this 'present' was that Darunia had left but thought little of it. Grateful that at least some of his friends were safe he beamed at Malon. She returned the grin and they left the chamber holding hands.

Very little was said between them for several reasons; they were simply content at being together in a time where all else seemed to be insane and muddled. They considered each other as their anchor in a world gone crazy. Silence was also important since making any sound gave away their position to the enemy; something they both did not want. It was understood that it had been morning when the army struck Kakariko, they probably weren't far now from their current position now that dusk was approaching.

"And here I find you alone." An ominous voice hummed as Link stood stock still at the figure blocking the stairs above them.

The man was thinner than the two he had fought in the woods with Saria; he had a deadly grace with the way he carried himself. A lone steel pauldron adorned his left shoulder as a similar thigh guard was affixed to his right leg. The rest of his body was covered in plain cloth and fabrics of brown, orange and grey; they were situated on his body to enable freedom of movement in battle. In his hand he held a thin rapier the length of his leg. He casually stood in a stance that offered no purchase of an attack on his body; Link admired his opponent's confidence.

With a flick of his free hand, the man brushed his brown bangs out of his eyes as he stared down the two children, "I have you all to myself. First I am going to cripple you boy."

Link and Malon took a few steps backwards down the steps as the man advanced slowly towards them.

"Then I'm going to rape your girlfriend in front of your eyes." The man continued with obvious glee. Link didn't entirely comprehend what the man was implying, but Link knew no sane adult should be viewing Malon like that; she edged closer to Link and gripped his arm so tight it was starting to hurt.

"When it's all over," he sneered, "I'm going to slit her throat in front of you right before your death. I certainly hope you enjoy it. I've been planning this meeting for some time now, ever since you bested Talamir and Timner."

Link pushed Malon further behind him as he pulled his sword out of the scabbard from his hip; Link made a mental note of those two names. The man merely laughed at Link's attempt to display he was ready for the duel. The man slowly advanced down step by step as Link deftly pulled the boomerang from his belt and handed it to Malon; she took it with rising anxiety.

"You know how to use one of these?" It was a question but it sounded more like a statement. Malon simply nodded in shock, "Good, go back out to the main chamber and wait for me there."

Link slipped out of the backpack and let it drop to the ground with a thud as Malon dashed out into the main hall. He kept pace with his opponent as they slowly descended the stairs; each foe assessing the other and looking for any weakness in their defense.

The man swung first with a side swipe from the right. Link deftly flicked away this attack with ease; he saw through the ruse as the man's sword thrust forward with the intent of piercing his chest. Link sidestepped to the right as his sword pushed the attack downward. He feinted with a low swipe from the left before switching it to a swipe to the stomach from the right; the man reacted quickly and parried the attack with finesse. He was excellent; Link had to give him that.

The man slowly pushed Link back with every stroke; every time Link attempted an offensive the man merely shrugged it off and countered with an attack of his own. Link was fighting a losing battle and both knew it; the man was smirking the entire time, he was simply toying with him!

"That girlfriend of yours has a nice ass. I followed it all the way here!" The man snickered as he thrust at Link again.

Quickly backing up from the thrust, Link countered it with an overhead swing. "You sicko! She is just a girl!" He yelled.

"All the more delicious for me when she is finally mine!" Link's core was shaken at this statement as the rapier sliced through the edge of his shoulder.

With an agonizing scream Link stumbled back clutching his bleeding arm. He needed to focus on the battle; the man was getting into his mind and throwing him off balance. His love and concern for Malon was clouding his judgment of the engagement. The man was forcing his mind to wander from the battle and he knew it! With a determined look, Link resumed his stance and motioned for the man to continue his assault.

The man chortled at this, "Very good! You saw through my tactic. You learn fast; such a shame that I have to kill you."

The man surged forward with a flurry of strokes, swipes and thrusts; Link was keeping up with his jabs but was slowly wearing down. Every few seconds he kept looking at the upper landing until he finally saw Malon crouch down in place. Just as the man twirled away from a stabbing jab, he nodded quickly to Malon. She took careful aim with the boomerang and threw it with all her might.

Distracted the man did not notice the boomerang until it thwacked him in his temple; he stumbled at the concussive force of the blow as Link dived forward to end the battle. The man was shaken but managed to evade the lethal nature of the attack, but not before Link's sword sliced through his side. The man cursed an oath as he held a hand to his lower rib, feeling the blood flow from the wound.

He snorted as he examined the injury, "No matter. It'll heal soon enough."

"Maybe, but how quick can you heal from that?" Link was already running away from him as the man looked down in surprise.

At his feet was a lit bomb; he glared at Link's receding form roaring in anger as the explosion rocked the massive hall. Rocks and rubble started to fall from the ceiling and smash themselves onto the splattered man. Link breathed a sigh of relief as he looked down from a higher landing at the damage he had wrought. Malon was slightly sick at the gore and blood of the exploded corpse.

"It's over now Malon." He swept her up in a bear-crushing hug as she cried into his shoulder. He lovingly ran his hands through her luscious red hair as he comforted her. This was indeed her first taste of the battlefield and she was in utter shock at the brutality of it. Link didn't even care that the boomerang was gone; Malon did her job as a distraction well. He couldn't ask anymore of her than that.

A hulking patter of steps interrupted their union; Link glanced over and saw a Dodongo slowly lumbering its way over to them. They were fell lizards that had green scales formed in shield platelets lining their back that protected them from all attacks. They had the nasty ability to breathe fire to incinerate their victims prior to devouring them; it was also unfortunate that it was one of the few times one could strike since their inner bellies were their weak point.

Malon's eyes bulged at the lizard as Link tilted his head back in disbelief, "You've got to be kidding me! This is the present? Malon run!"

They sprinted outside to be greeted by two men on horseback: Talamir and Timner. Link skidded to a halt as he brought Malon swinging back around him unaware she was running straight into danger. The two men looked on the pair of them with malice, their bodies hulking in their heavy armor. Each man knocked an arrow to his bow and began to take aim at Link's heart; Malon screamed.

Link glanced back and noted the Dodongo had followed them; a sharp intake of breath signified it was getting ready to spit fire. He pushed Malon away from him as he dove in the opposite direction. The arrows flew through the air, skimming past where Link was and striking the Dodongo straight in the gullet. Flames billowed out from its mouth as it engulfed the two horses directly in front of it.

One horse bucked off its rider as the other galloped away from the flames; with effort the rider guided it towards Malon. Link rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up, narrowly avoiding the crushing stomp as the Dodongo tried to squish his arm. Malon was already running away from the rider; however in an instant he was alongside her. With calculating ease, he reached down from his charging horse and picked Malon up by the hair. Screaming from the top of her lungs, she thrashed wildly at her attacker; he dismissively knocked her flailing arms away and smashed her face with his gloved fist. She lost consciousness instantly and slumped across the front part of his saddle.

Upon seeing her lifeless body slung over the black horse, Link screamed in utter rage. With inner strength he didn't know he had, he leapt off of the Dodongo's head and ran headlong towards the rider who had captured Malon. He started laughing at him! Out of the corner of his eye, the second rider rose up and with a loud, sickening crack, Link's vision went red as he slammed to the ground.

A burbling voice echoed from the cave entrance, "That little bastard! Where is he?"

Clumps of flesh, bone and gore were slithering slowly across the ground as the man sluggishly reformed his body from the prior explosion. Talamir glanced over from his horse at Thanan and laughed. Thanan shot him a glare but didn't comment; his pain at recomposing himself was excruciating.

Timner chortled, deftly dodging a swipe from the Dodongo, "You look like shite Thanan! Did you underestimate the boy too?" At this both brothers laughed, much to Thanan's chagrin.

The last thing Link remembered as his vision became obscured was Timner advancing on the Dodongo and putting it out of its misery. He coughed up some blood before resting his head on the ground, letting himself sink into the infinite abyss.

Malon…are you safe…?


	17. Chapter 16 - Through the Heart of Hell

_This can be a pretty brutal chapter for some readers. For those of the squeamish variety, you can stop reading if you wish as Naar and his men leave the tent. However, I am not going to change how the villains would act towards their enemies. To keep them in character, this is what they would do, so I make no apologies for them. This was not an easy chapter to write but I hope it satisfies a few plot points that will come into play much later._

- **CHAPTER 16 – Through the Heart of Hell**

The dull, aching pain was what woke him. Link's eyes slowly fluttered to life as the harsh glare of candle light stung his pupils. His wrists hurt dreadfully. He tried his hardest to look up but couldn't manage to lift his head before the throbbing at the back of his brain pounded in full force; he had to stop before he passed out again. He was hanging by his wrists with a hard leathery thong attached to a central pole running the length of the tent keeping its structure stable.

Link gingerly moved his head to examine the space around him and deduced that he was in the heart of the massive army and that it was already night time; he concluded this as the tent flap straight ahead of him gently wavered in the evening breeze given him brief glimpses of the horrors beyond. He looked around and saw several cages hanging around the rim of the tent; each one had a fairy in it.

Link was going to ponder this when his hearing finally returned in a crashing onslaught of sound; the noise filled his ears with a deafening roar. A din of talking, screaming, shouting, and clanging all rushed at him from every angle. Link shut his eyes hard trying to block out the immense cacophony of sound, but it was simply too much. The screaming was what disturbed him the most; it was a collage of children, women, animals and men. Resigning to the horrible music of war, he lay listless from the pole.

It was then that Link noticed he was completely naked; his precious Kokiri clothes were casually tossed in the far corner of the tent shredded and ripped. Link groaned inwardly as he lamented his precious tunic; the last remnants of home.

A gust of cold air blasted his naked form sending shivers down his spine as the tent flap opened up of its own accord and four figures entered the tent. The biggest brute stopped directly in front of him cape sweeping behind as the three commanders lined up abreast just paces beyond; Link recognized those men. The slender one of the three came up to big man's side and spoke in a soft whisper.

"This is the boy they call Link, Dodongo Buster. It is unclear how he was able to do it, but he has once wielded the Master Sword. He is a legend in his own right, but no one seems to remember it." Thanan coolly informed him.

The caped man sarcastically clapped his hands, "It is amazing where you get your information Thanan, but I'm not complaining!" Link quickly made a mental note of the third man's name.

With a mock visage of surprise, the caped man placed a hand to his lips, "Oh my, I have completely forgotten my manners!" A small laugh, "Here are my legion commanders, Thanan, Talamir and Timner. I believe you've met them before. Yes?"

He indicated to the three men Link was already acquainted with; he gestured to the slender brown haired man, then the slightly muscular black haired man and finally the blond haired man who shared a similar build with the previous. Link squinted his eyes in hatred as he memorized their faces and names.

The man continued, "You may not know who I am but let me state it for you boy: I am General Naar. Surely you remember what you did to me in the Lost Woods, no?"

Link simply shook his head; the events that day were a complete blur to him, he didn't remember much of that awful day. A sudden flurry of movement and Link screamed in pain as he swung by his wrists from the tent pole; He had punched Link hard in the gut at what Naar took for arrogance.

Naar scoffed as he walked up to examine Link's small pale body in the candle light; his boots crunching on the gravel beneath his feet with every slow calculating step. Link tried to contain his raging emotions swirling within him as the swinging finally ceased. He tried his best to ignore the raging chorus of screams still thundering outside the tent. Naar inspected Link from all angles before stopping once more in front of him. He let out a startling laugh which caused Link to jerk involuntarily.

"Look at this boy men, he hasn't even grown his own hair! He's not even a real man!" The four of them cackled with insane laughter as Link remained silent in fury. A rash action on his part might land him in more trouble than he already was. He let them have their fun. Let them make fun of him; he would get out of this somehow. He didn't quite have a plan just yet, but he already suspected it would be a very slim chance of escape if at all.

With a rush Naar grasped the shoulder that Thanan has sliced and began to squeeze it until Link gasped in agony, "Well, let me remind you of what you did to me. Do you remember shooting me in the shoulder with an arrow?" Link's eyes shot open and looked at Naar in the eyes, "Yes…you remember now don't you? And you took my pretty little prize away as well."

Link screamed more as Naar began to open up the wound and dig a finger in, worming its way deeper, "You escaped with her, insulting two of my commanders in the process and blew up another! You are proving to be a very troublesome pest!"

"But all is not lost." He continued. Naar released Link's shoulder as he gasped for air, mind reeling with the shock of his reopened injury. Naar took out a gleaming jewel that glittered in the light of the candles; Link visibly sagged at seeing it. "This is quite the pretty little gem and I have a good idea of its importance in the grand scheme of things. I must thank you from the bottom of my heart for delivering it safe and sound for me."

He chuckled at that as he slid it back into a belt pouch and drew out a piece of parchment, "I must also thank you for this letter," Link stared dumbfounded at what Naar held, "with this map, I do believe we know the location of the Gorons and ultimately this…Goron Ruby. And of this…" Naar glanced at the letter momentarily, "Darunia character. I will personally see to it that my men bring him here before you and have his head cut off before your eyes!"

"No!" Link shouted.

Naar quickly grabbed Link's cheeks between his fingers and brought his face closer to his as he spoke in a deadly hush, "I will make sure everyone you hold dear is dead and I will make you watch all of it. When that is done and I feel you've had enough pain and torture, you have my permission to die."

With a shake, Naar pushed Link away from him enjoying the look of misery on the boy's face as he tried hard not to scream at the leather thong digging into his wrists with each swing. Without resting, Naar proceeded over to one of the cages on the far side of the tent, unlocked it and brought back a single fairy. He held it loosely but firmly in his hands; the fairy seemed to be listless with no willpower to even move.

"I found out something interesting about your friends the other day." Naar began teaching; Link had an idea that he didn't want to find out what Naar was about to show him. "Did you know that they are connected through some magical bond? One protects the other." At a look from Link he clarified, "Oh no, no, no! Not like that. Neither can protect the other physically; it's more of like a life force thing."

Naar was waving his empty hand around as if to conjure up the words he was trying to say, "You see, these Kokiri are kept alive by the mere fact of these fairies. We have to bring them in this tent every night just to keep them alive. Their mere presence alongside each other revitalizes both." A terrible, dawning realization began to seep over Link as Naar began to finish his instruction.

"Having said that…" Naar began to slowly crush the fairy in his hand; with one final squeak and a splatter of blood the fairy was gone. "You kill one and the other dies." He opened his hand and let the mangled mess drop to the ground as he shook his hand of the excess blood; grabbing a towel he wiped it clean as he came closer to Link.

"You try anything funny or try to resist in any way, I will kill another fairy. It is up to you how long you wish your friends to last." Naar threatened.

He stood up to his full height and breathed a heavy whiff of the smoke within the tent, "Well, this was a great chat. We should do this again tomorrow." He turned to Thanan, "Gather up four of the sickest minds in our camp and bring them here; our guest needs entertainment. Tell them to do anything they wish to this boy, except kill him. Make sure they have no qualms about doing things to little boys."

Thanan began to whine, "I want to do it my lord. Let me split him apart!"

Naar grabbed a fistful of Thanan's shirt and brought him within inches of his face, "You will do no such thing. You are needed elsewhere. Your time will come." Naar shoved Thanan back and raised his voice so Link could hear the last part, "You should thank me for being so forgiving with your punishment! You could have had Thanan accompany you tonight, now that would have been scary!"

Naar laughed the entire way out of the tent as Thanan scowled at Link; with a huff he slammed his shoulder into Timner on his way to gather the four men. The two brothers smirked at each other and left the tent also. Link shivered in the cold night air, thoughts rampaging around in his head; he was dreading what was to come.

His wrists were sore, he tried to look up at them but the throbbing in his head grew worse and he had to quickly look back down. The blood trickling down his arms were enough to tell him his situation was bad. The throbbing began to recede slightly when the tent flap opened and four ugly brutes entered and stood starting at him. Two of them walked around the edges and got on each side of Link.

"Well, here's a fresh one straight out of the womb!" Laughter ensued.

"He might provide a better fight than those girls last night!" More laughter.

"Yeah, after breaking some bones, they were no fun at all!"

"I love it when they squirm!" Mocking laughter.

The center male with a huge scar across his nose walked up to Link; he quivered in disgust as the man felt his legs and thighs before saying the obvious, "So smooth!"

He reached up above Link and undid the ropes around his wrists; Link immediately began to struggle and break free of his violating grip but they were too strong. The brute slammed him down on the nearby table knocking the wind out of him. Link was laid flat on his stomach as two of the other brutes grabbed his shoulders to firmly hold him there.

They roughly moved him down the table without regard for Link's comfort; they slid him down until his upper body was on the table and his legs were dangling. The man who had untied him got into position behind Link.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "Look at that beauty! Believe me guys; it'll never be this pure after we're done. So let's enjoy this now!"

They all laughed. Link was furious at what was happening but he couldn't do anything about it; they were too strong. He felt tears beginning to form around his eyes.

"Awww…look at that." The man holding his shoulders let loose a guttural laugh, "The poor little guy is crying! Well no worries. You'll have more tears to cry when we're through with you!"

The dam broke as he let them fall down his face unbidden; Link whimpered as he heard the man behind him unbuckling his belt and the slump of his pants fall to the ground. Two rough, grimy hands slapped Link making him wince at the sudden surprise of it. The man was getting ready; Link couldn't bear it anymore.

The brute gestured to the two men holding Link's shoulders, "Okay you get one leg and you get the other-"

The man didn't even finish his sentence before he was choking on his blood. A squishy ripping sound was perceived as his intestines were violently ripped from his bowels. He slumped to the ground still alive gurgling on steaming bile. The man holding Link's shoulders had his head cleanly sliced off as blood spurted over the other two men and drenched Link with a coat of warm, red paint.

Link moved his head to the side to see a shadow flitter from a corner and dash upon the man to his left, slicing him completely in half. He was still partially alive as his upper body fell to the floor; his lower body struggling to maintain itself on its feet. He screamed for help before his eyes were plucked out and something big smashed his face in.

The fourth and final brute wasted no time and ran in panic towards the tent flap; however, the shadow would not let him. A whistling sound raked the air as a big spike protruded from the man's back as he collapsed to the ground. The shadow leapt onto him and with a clawed hand gouged its fingers deep into his back; it ripped his heart out and casted it away like trash.

Afraid to even move, Link stayed exactly where he was; he didn't know if the shadow wanted to kill him too. Footsteps were coming closer as he trembled to his very bones. Suddenly he was roughly lifted off the table and was flipped in the air so that the shadow was carrying him like a baby. Link looked up into the face of his rescuer and realized with a sudden, gratifying relief that it was Impa. Link immediately let out a racking sob as he violently hugged her neck with a passion.

Impa allowed him to cry it out on her shoulder for a few moments; the poor boy, she could only imagine what he had endured. "No time for explanations Link. We must leave now."

Link jerked his head up with tears still streaming from his eyes, trickling down his face in rivulets, "But what about Malon?!"

"She's safe as well," Impa assured him, "I got to her before they did. I just barely got to you. Now no more talk, we must leave quickly!"

Ignoring the repugnant smell of blood and entrails, Impa wrapped a cloth nearby around Link to cover him up; she fashioned it into a quick shoulder strap in which Link could be tied to her back where she could carry him without being hindered. She was about to leave the tent when a bolt of thought struck Link as he cried out for her to stop.

"Sora! Is she in here?!" Link gasped.

Impa looked around the cages lining the rim of the tent and began to despair. "Which one would she be? Is she even here?"

"I don't know." Link said weakly, exhaustion slowly overtaking his senses. "Look for the one that has more life in it than the others." He remembered the lesson Naar had taught him.

A low moan emanated from the man with the smashed face; a few other similar cries directed Impa's attention to the men she had temporarily killed. She flew by the cages rapidly looking in each one for a fairy that seemed different than the rest. She was about to give up hope until she heard a small voice in the corner; she directed her steps towards the cage in the shadows of the tent. Yes, she thought, this fairy does have a bright glow than the others.

"Are you Sora?" Impa questioned the little fairy.

The fairy simply nodded its head. Impa quickly unhooked the cage from the tent post and attached the metal loop onto a buckle along her belt. She kicked the face of one of the men trying in vain to put the heart back into his chest; he cursed her and spat on the ground as she traipsed past his useless body. With a loving look at Link sleeping against her back, she opened the tent flap and slipped out into the night.


	18. Chapter 17 - Revelations of Birth

_As much as I hate exposition bombs being delivered by single characters, I unfortunately needed a lot of info out to the reader as soon as possible so the next 5 or so chapters make a bit more sense as to why things are happening to Link as they do. Furthermore, I took some liberties with the information hidden in-between the lines as to the origin of Link's birth, where Sheikah came from and so forth. In the grand scheme of things, it 'works.' I left it open enough to be able to look at the information and go, 'yeah, I can see how that could be true.' Enjoy everyone!_

- **CHAPTER 17 – Revelations of Birth**

His eyes tried to focus long and hard at the shapes that had no form. The color was there but the images weren't making any sense. Voices were talking but the clarity was muted; it all sounded like incessant warbling. His eyes flickered as he blinked. Slowly the images came into focus with startling detail in the early morning sun. Impa and Malon were kneeling over him looking intently at his face. Link placed one hand on the ground and with assistance from Impa achingly rose up into a seated position. He rubbed his eyes; not wanting to get up onto his feet just yet, he remained sitting where he was in the grass.

Malon was in dismal shape like him; her clothes were partially shredded but were not as bad as his when he last saw them crumpled in the corner of that tent. Her nose was slightly twisted by the force of the blow Thanan had given her; it would eventually have to be reset. Blood had stained her lips and chin from the injury. She wore a sad smile on her face. What did she have to go through before Impa saved her? He wondered. Link didn't want to dwell on that thought but meant to ask her later.

Impa looked as calm and collected as ever albeit if a bit macabre with blood and viscera slathered all over her skin and armor; she was gazing at him with her intense dark eyes. He looked down on himself and realized she had stolen some new clothes for him; A small chest of boiler plate armor with two shoulder pauldrons. An inner tunic of brown with a strap for both sword and shield; ankle length pants with leg plates adjoined on the outer thighs. It was crude, but it would do.

"Don't ask Link," Impa explained, "I stole them from a soldier I killed before he was able to revive. As a matter of fact, he was the same age as you, which is even sadder."

Link surveyed his clothes again, wondering how much treachery that young boy wearing this outfit had accomplished. Were these clothes already stained with the blood of innocents? Malon shifted her weight and sat close beside him; she reached out a hand and grasped one of his into her own.

Link's brow furrowed a moment figuring out what had happened, "How did you know where to find Malon and me?"

Impa shifted positions and sat cross-legged in front of the two children, "Let's just say a little fairy told me."

Link went rigid, "Fairy? Where's Sora?"

Impa merely pointed behind Link as a flutter of wings nicked his ear and a small weight landed on his shoulder. Sora placed a delicate hand on his face and gave him a big smile. She was a minuscule thing with four separate gossamer wings; two large upper wings and two small lower wings. All fairies were naked naturally but to erect some form of modesty when not around other Kokiri, Sora had fashioned a thin dress of forest leaves that wrapped around her body covering what most people considered inappropriate.

"Morning Link!" Sora giggled.

"Were you the one who told Impa? Wait, weren't you in the cage?" Link was baffled.

Sora looked quickly at Impa who merely shook her head briefly, "No, wasn't me. You saved me? Remember?" The fairy chided him on his lack of memory.

Malon laughed, "She's a spunky little thing isn't she?"

Sora spun around to confront Malon, "No more than you!" The fairy stuck out her arm making a rather rude gesture.

Malon looked slightly shocked, "Are they all like this Link?"

Link grunted with mirth, "Navi certainly was. She did have a sense of humor that I loved. Maybe that's where I get it from."

A knowing look between Impa and Sora was detected by Malon; heedless of Link's ruminations Impa was forced to interrupt for they hadn't the time to delay here any longer than they already had. She cleared her throat as the children were directed to listen; Sora simply sat down on Link's shoulder and nuzzled up next to his neck just under his earlobe. Within moments she was softly snoring.

Impa watching the rising sun on the horizon a few moments as she considered something; with a breath she queried, "Link, there is much you should know about Nevachrea, as should you Malon." She returned her gaze to the two children, "How much do you know already of Nevachrea?"

Link scrunched his nose in concentration trying to remember what Talon had told him, "I think Nevachrea was a rising nation or country." Impa nodded her head for him to continue, "I think we were helping them a lot with fabrics, materials and other things. The Hylian king cut ties and left them to fend for themselves and they've hated us ever since." Link breathed a sigh of relief after finishing; he hadn't expected to be quizzed on history he barely knew.

"Is that all?" Impa impassively questioned.

"That's all." Link confirmed with a nod.

Impa leaned back and crossed her arms as she sighed deeply, "Well, that crucial line of trade was the downfall of Hyrule before it ever was annulled. The Hylian king of that time should never have gotten into an agreement with Nevachrea to begin with."

"Were they really that bad from the start?" Malon asked, curious as to how those men got to be such pigs.

Impa's lip curved into a smile at her innocent question but kept her resolve, "No, they were not. In fact they were just as peaceable as can be expected. At the time, Hyrule was very prosperous and held much of the natural resources among the world powers. The only downside to our country was the lack of manpower to stabilize it; we were growing faster than we had the population to compensate for. We needed slaves to fill the gap."

Malon gasped at this horrible truth as Link looked down in shame at his own country. Impa pressed onward with her story, "Nevachrea provided those slaves for us. In return, we supplied them with an immense wealth of gold, fabrics, materials and other tradable goods. We helped build their nation up into a major world power; off the backs of their own people."

"You mean we helped build our greatest foe." Link interjected.

Impa dipped her head in grave determination, "The many goods we sent to the country was used as payment for the slaves we needed to build Hyrule Castle and other provinces. However, that is not the worst part of the story."

"What happened to the slaves Impa?" Malon insisted.

"That is what I'm coming to," Impa softly uttered as she looked down at the ground for a time; after some consideration she looked up at Malon, "After the king of Hyrule saw how powerful a nation Nevachrea had become, soaking off the wealth of our own, he severed all ties and banned all trades to the country. He had men steal more than a thousand slaves from Nevachrea even after the deal was broken off." Malon gasped at this. "This angered the Nevachrean monarchy and they felt sorely cheated on a crucial agreement. Shortly thereafter their economy collapsed; they have born an innate hatred towards us ever since."

"The slaves were a sub-sect of Nevachrean descent and had been around long before the nation was even founded; some say they traveled south from Hyrule after having spent centuries living here. The slaves were trained as common grunts in the Hylian army, but many Hylians grew restless as it became apparent that the slaves were far better at the craft of war than the king dared admit. To prevent a potential rebellion, he let the slaves buy their freedom and granted them full citizenship. He also leased a plot of land east of Hyrule castle which is now known as Kakariko."

Link and Malon's jaws dropped as they both realized who the slaves were. As if in unison they shouted, "The Sheikah were the slaves?!"

A small blossom of crystalline formed at the base of Impa's eyes; she merely nodded as she brushed it away, "Yes. We were targeted because of our special innate abilities to do things that a normal Hylian or Nevachrean could not do. We could do dangerous or menial tasks with utmost ease with our powers, which made us the perfect slaves. We are used to serving in positions as followers rather than leaders; so the adjustment to protect the Royal Family came natural. But our objective goes far deeper than that."

Wary that she had said too much, she waved a hand to dismiss the previous comment and continued, "A century after Kakariko was built, Nevachrea invaded Hyrule. A raging, bloody war ensued on Hylian ground as the two powers fought for dominance. Hyrule's bloody history has always been filled with greed and hatred. This was but one of many atrocities that occurred. How old are you again Link?"

The question came so suddenly out of the blue that he stuttered a bit before realizing what the answer was, "I'm eleven cycles but should be turning twelve in a few orbits."

"That puts him right at that time." Impa confirmed to herself. Link just looked confused; Malon glanced between the two of them unsure of what to say. "I always had a suspicion but I never could prove it until I looked at that mark on your butt last night."

Link blushed furiously as Malon's eyes dilated, "She what?" She spluttered trying to compose herself from a coughing fit resulting from trying to swallow and breathe at the same time.

Impa hadn't meant for it to come out so bluntly but she needed to get her point across, "Malon, I rescued you before they were able to harm you. I just barely got to Link. He was spread out on a table without clothes. I happened to glance at his birthmark which confirmed my theory."

"Can I see it?!" Malon asked excitedly as she tried to peel back Link's pants to look at his birthmark.

"NO! Hey, stop that!" Link roughly yanked his tunic down and edged away quickly.

"Quiet!" Impa commanded; both children immediately stopped. She really needed to keep a closer eye on these two or they'd be trouble in more ways than one! "As I was saying," Impa took a breath of impatience, "that puts you right at that time." She indicated Link who was completely lost as to where she was going with this.

"There was a Sheikah mother who gave birth to a child during that war, but did not want it to live or be brought up in a world of death and hatred. In desperation, that mother journeyed through the hell of war to bring that child to the forest; where the great Deku Tree would take care of her newborn." The more Impa spoke the more Link lost himself in amazement. "Upon seeing this cooing baby, the Deku Tree knew that this was a child of destiny and agreed to keep the child under its canopy; he let it live amongst his other children, the Kokiri, as if it was one of them."

Link's mind was swirling with thoughts, emotions and conclusions; he still couldn't believe what he was hearing. The tumult of images and truths flashed before his eyes as one dawning realization came over him. He looked up at Impa with a hopeful expression.

"Are…you my mother?" Link whispered with anticipation.

Impa merely laughed at his query, "No Link. But I knew your mother."

She indicated off behind them at the horses that were idly snipping the grass; Link glanced over and saw Epona standing tall enjoying her mid-morning meal. He gasped as she looked up at him and whinnied in response; she was pleased to see him but was more content to finishing her meal. Dejected he turned away but noticed another Sheikah leaning against the shadow of a tree watching the group.

"We Sheikah never travel alone and go in pairs. I was with your mother that fateful night she placed you before the Deku Tree." Impa warmly smiled as she finally revealed the truth to Link, "You are not just a Hylian, born from a Hylian man. You are also a descendent of Nevachrea and the Sheikah. Normal Hylians cannot weird magic like you have done so; I believe in your stories of the future and it impresses me more now that I know who you really are. No Hylian or Nevachrean can move and fight like you can."

"But…" Link refuted, "I wasn't actually winning against Thanan back at Death Mountain."

"You are untrained in the ways of Sheikah. You will learn in time how to fight better than most men. I have a hunch, but you might actually have the power to bring forth weapons into your very hand; I don't have any proof of my conjecture though." Impa mused.

"Is that a natural thing for people of Nevachrea to have? What about coming back from the dead, is that normal for them?" Link asked.

Impa shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure."

"Conj….ekture?" Malon asked, still confused at the terminology.

"It means guessing silly. I learned that at the castle!" Link explained in a matter-of-fact voice. Malon shot him a dirty look; Link deftly avoided a savage poke to the ribs.

A brief clearing of the throat brought the children to heel at Impa's authority, "For reasons unknown to me, you were born with the blood from all three races. Whether you were destined to be like this or not is unclear."

Link held up a hand to interpose, "I was told my mother had died. Is she still alive? Why is the mark on my body so important?"

Impa's face softened with a look of sadness, "I'm sorry Link. I was there the moment your mother died of her wounds. As for your birthmark," she gestured to Link (Malon tried to lean over and get a glimpse), "every Sheikah is born with one somewhere on their body."

With this she lifted up her top marginally so they could see the mark of an eye next to her navel. A brimming smile of joy erupted on Link's face as he bounded off the grass and leaped into Impa's arms hugging her; letting out a yelp of surprise, Impa grappled the young boy as they fell to the ground laughing together. They both laid there hugging each other as Malon sat nearby feeling awkward at being the third wheel to the entire conversation. She started fiddling with a strand of grass as she watched the happy moment; she had never met her mother. Her father said she had died giving birth to her. At least that was something in common Link and her shared.

Impa tenderly patted Link on the head and rubbed his ruffled blood-caked hair down, "That's enough now child." She slowly sat up and set him down beside her. "I'm sorry for the long-winded discussion but once I confirmed who you truly were, I felt it pertinent that you know your heritage. You'll need every bit of knowledge to combat this foe." She waved a hand off in the direction of the army to the east.

A bird chirp twirled through the air as Impa glanced over at her Sheikah companion resting by the horses; Impa stood up with the intent to leave.

"We've spent enough time talking. We need to meet up with the others." Impa directed.

"You mean my father?!" Malon burst in with enthusiasm.

Impa gave a swift nod, "Yes, and Zelda too. More importantly we need to get Sora back to Saria."

At this, Sora woke up with a snort as she looked around dazed; Link was already on his feet as her comfortable sleeping perch moved precariously. With a sulking puff, the fairy flew off and flitted by the horses waiting for the others to catch up. Impa offered Link and Malon the larger of the two horses while she grabbed the reins of Epona; intent on walking alongside her since her wounds were still too fresh to be carrying a rider.

"Link, hold on tight to Malon since she isn't the one securely in the saddle!" Impa cautioned.

Link awkwardly wrapped his arms around Malon and rested his hands on the pommel of the saddle, the reins gripped in his hands. The smell of her hair was filling his nostrils and he had the intense urge to sneeze as it brushed past his nose. With a contented sigh she leaned back against his chest and rested her head on him. He had never ridden a horse before with another passenger in front; this was going to be weird.

"We ride north Link!" Impa gave a shout. With a slap to the rump of their horse, they were off; hopefully away from the army of hell.

**-Break-**

General Naar was furious; he surveyed the tent as the four men were in various stages of re-composition. Several body parts still hadn't found their way to their rightful masters and smears of blood were splattered across the tent fabric. He surveyed the scene with grim wrath at the complete failure of these four imbecilic soldiers. He stepped up to the pitiful heap of flesh with its intestines pulled straight from its bowels; he noted the man was still trying to stuff them back in. They were idiots when it came to repairing themselves; they were completely unused to injury and it clearly showed.

He pressed a boot to the man's head and kicked him down to the dirt before spitting on his body, "Thanan! Slice these men up and burn their bodies. Leave no trace of their existence. We do not tolerate failure in this war!" The twins looked at each other nervously with this comment; Naar pointed a finger in their direction. "You two! Form a search party and track this Link down! Do not disappoint me again!"

Naar spun on his heel and slammed a fist into Talamir knocking him clear across the tent; he curled on the ground clutching the spot where he had been hit. Enraged and frustrated, Naar opened the flap and violently swung it down behind him as he stormed off.

"Why is it always me?" Talamir gasped in-between breaths.

Timner knelt down to help his brother back onto his feet, "I think he hates us brother."

They both snickered at that.


	19. Chapter 18 - A Place of Refuge

- **CHAPTER 18 – A Place of Refuge**

They galloped across the fields in the midday sun; the black column of soldiers off to the east could barely be seen from this distance. Making sure they went masked by trees and hills, Link directed the horse ever northwards. Impa was far behind but promised to meet up with them later; she indicated that Zelda knew where their ultimate destination was and would meet them there with Epona. Satisfied with this answer Link had left Impa alone and rode with Malon to meet up with his friends.

Sora had crawled underneath Link's tunic and was resting on his shoulder using the fabric as a blanket; she had made herself comfortable and was simply enjoying the ride. Malon had completely fallen asleep in his arms within minutes of the journey. Clearly he was the only one awake on the horse yet wanting nothing but sleep; Link forced himself to remain conscious as the life of Malon could depend on it. He did not want to falter with the stallion and have either her or him falling off.

Link noticed Talon first with his hefty paunch; he was sitting against a tree taking a nap. Zelda was nearby tending to the horses while Saria was sleeping on the ground beside Talon. They had made sure she was in the shade of the tree to keep the sun off her; Link smiled at their concern. Zelda turned in surprise as his horse reared up beside her. Link quickly nudged Malon awake who dreamily accepted Zelda's assistance in hopping down off the brown stallion. Link observed two other horses; so we now have three at our disposal he noted.

In a flurry of wings, Sora shot off like a rocket towards Saria and landed gingerly on her chest. Malon rushed into her father's arms, startling him awake with the sudden weight of her body slamming into him with a bear hug. He could do nothing but laugh in joy at the return of his daughter. Zelda moved to give Link an embrace but only managed to touch his arm as he swept past her, his eyes only for Saria.

Zelda followed him morosely as Link knelt down beside his friend, intently watching the actions of Sora; he glanced over as Zelda sat down beside him before resuming watch over his friend. The little fairy had placed her entire body on Saria's breast, placing both hands on her sternum where a soft, pulsating glow was forming. Link could visibly see beads of sweat forming on the little sprite's forehead as she moaned in exertion at what she was undertaking. A final flash of light erupted from beneath those small hands when the fairy collapsed onto Saria's chest.

Link quickly picked up the fairy and cradled it in his hand; Sora looked up into his eyes with something akin to relief, "She's going to be all right Link. I gave her most of my spirit."

Zelda cocked her head at this statement, "Spirit? What do you mean?"

"Silly Hylian, your spirit! What powers you." Sora explained weakly, fading quickly into slumber. She had completely exhausted herself.

Link kept his gaze on the sprite as he explained to Zelda, "She means your life force; the very essence of your being. It is something I never shared with Navi, because I couldn't. I wasn't a Kokiri." A sad tone of bitterness entered his voice at these last words.

Talon and Malon slowly made their way over to Saria and the group; having finished their jubilant reunion. Talon was about to speak but realized he would be interrupting what Link was explaining and decided to hold back; he placed a hand in front of Malon, this was a private moment between Link and Zelda. They should remain out of this.

"Throughout our travels, I always felt that Navi kept things from me. I was never truly connected to her although I wanted to be. A Kokiri bonds with their fairy and they share a life force that is unique only to them." Malon had a hard time following with some of the educated words Link was using, "They share thoughts, feelings, emotions and hearts with each other. It is a special type of bond I desperately wanted for myself. Navi and I never merged that way; she was always the fairy and I was just the Hylian."

Zelda edged closer and draped an arm across his shoulders as a muffled sob came from Link, "I went to go looking for her after I came back from the future; I never did see her again. Why did she leave me Zelda?" He turned to her with a tear streaming down, "I don't understand. Why?"

All Zelda could do was give him an awkward smile before shaking her head; she had no answers for him. This concept of a bond between fairy and Kokiri was foreign to her, but she could easily see why Link had yearned for it so badly. It was like sharing a piece of your soul with another and having it be fully accepted, cherished and loved. She also wanted that experience too; so she understood him in that sense.

"She had always loved you Link." Link shook at the voice he thought he would never hear again; Saria was still laying on her back but she was facing him with a warming smile spreading across her face.

Quickly handing Sora to Zelda, Link hopped over and draped himself over Saria in an embrace of utmost relief. "Ahhh…please go easy!" Saria yelped.

Link rebounded away in alarm, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you Saria!"

"It's okay Link," she giggled faintly, "I'm just a bit tired." She looked at the others a bit before adding, "Do you have any food?"

Talon leapt at this chance to offer assistance, "One momen' my young lass!" He puffed over to the horses and started digging into the saddlebags. As they waited Malon sat down in the grass next to Saria and placed a hand on her shoulder; Saria warmed to her touch and reached up to hold the gesture of comfort.

"I'm glad you are back Saria." Malon was a bit shy; she had never formally met a Kokiri before. She didn't know exactly what to say to one. Saria looked like a young child like the rest of them but she had flawless skin. She wore a knee length tunic that was strangely missing a belt for it seemed to fit her more like a nightie than actual daily wear. Her hair was fashioned into a bob that ended at the nape of her neck; it gleamed in brilliant green hues as the rays reflected off her hair through the branches of the tree above.

Talon came back with some cured meats and an apple; he frowned when Saria waved off the meat but readily accepted the apple. He turned to Link but all he offered was a shake of the head. Shrugging, he presently started chewing the jerky himself as he looked on his charges; doubled now that Malon and Link had joined the group. He felt obligated to protect the lot of them.

Link turned to Zelda, "Impa said she was meeting us somewhere. She said you would know where that was."

"Don't be alarmed Link," he wasn't really on edge until Zelda said that, "but we are going to the Gerudo and seek refuge with them."

Saria and Malon were clueless but Link was left staring open mouthed at Zelda as Talon let loose a growl. Why would they even go there? He hadn't made friends with them yet in this time period, didn't she know that? How did she expect to get all of them safely into their fortress, especially with two males in the group?

"Are you insane!?" Link stood up upsetting Zelda with his venomous tone. "You do know what they do to men and boys?"

Talon rumbled his ascent, "I said it was a bad idea! Impa would hear none of it!" He stood resolute with arms crossed across his chest; jerky all but forgotten in his fist. "I say we move south, travel pas' Lake Hylia and seek refug' where we can!" His mustache was bristling with agitation.

Zelda rose up, walked over to Talon and confronted him directly, "Impa is expecting to meet us at the valley pass leading to their fortress in the north. We have very little alternatives. The army is to the east of us dragging itself all the way from Nevachrea. That entire path is blocked to us. Anything past Lon Lon Ranch has fallen. What else can we do?"

Talon leaned over into her face, "Ya do not speak to me in that tone of voice young lady. I am still yer elder."

Zelda stood on her tiptoes to gain a bit more height to match and face his gruffness head on. She spoke with regal authority, "And I am still your princess!"

Link was shocked at Talon's defiance to Zelda and moved to intervene but was brought back down to Saria's side by her distress. This fighting was causing her to become tense; she just wanted it to stop. The presence of the anger was flowing into her mind, clouding her thoughts. Saria was not used to yelling; she had never heard the like.

Talon huffed derisively as he landed the final nail in the coffin of Zelda's argument, "Yes indeed; princess of a fallen kingd'm. Where does that leave ya now?"

A slap to the face stunned Talon out of his fury as both him and Zelda turned in shock at Malon standing there fuming at her father. She looked absolutely livid and was breathing heavy; both at the hard slap she delivered and the astonishment that she was the one who had done it.

"Just stop it! You have no right to talk to Zelda that way! She is trying to do what's best for her kingdom, for those still fighting for it! What happened to you daddy?!" Malon was practically screaming at the top of her lungs; Link was slightly worried how far her voice could travel.

Talon's ire melted away into shame at how he was acting; he had let the past get away with him. He looked to Zelda, mumbled a quick apology and lumbered over to the horses to be by himself with his thoughts. Zelda stood shaking in her boots at the first confrontation she had ever experienced in her life. Never had she been yelled at, nor fought back; it was frightening and strangely exhilarating.

Malon rushed into her arms as Zelda awkwardly wrapped her hands around the ranch girl. Zelda looked over to Link who just stood by unsure of what to do. She let Malon cry it out on her shoulder; it was probably the first time she had ever seen her father get angry over anything. It was quite clear she didn't care much for it.

"So," Link asked after a few minutes, "what makes you think they'll let us in? They are very strict on security."

With a quick flick of the eyes over to Talon, Zelda answered, "Impa says that we have connections within our group that will allow us into their domain."

Link caught the look but didn't quite make the association with what Zelda was implying. He started forward to assist Zelda when an arrow whistled inches from his nose; he jerked his head back as a dull thunk was heard in the nearby tree. Looking up on the eastern rise he saw four riders with the lead knocking another arrow to his bow. Link swore an oath as he began directing the group.

"Talon! Grab Saria and place her on a horse and make for the Gerudo pass. Zelda, grab Malon and take another horse, follow Talon!" Link ordered with such command that they dared not question his orders.

With a flurry of moment, bodies were being picked up, carried, slung over horses and straddled in. Sora flew from Zelda and tucked herself into Saria's hair. Two more arrows flew within feet of the group, one digging into the dirt a few paces from Talon.

"Go! Go!" Link yelled as the four diverged off and galloped northwards toward the valley pass. Link hopped onto his horse and spurred it southwards to Lake Hylia.

The lead rider on the hill made a hand signal as two of the four broke off and trailed after Talon and the group; the other two proceeded down the hill towards Link. Cursing, Link had needed all to follow him; with a rage-filled cry he galvanized his horse into a break-neck run down the hill. Off at the base of the decline, he saw a patch of flowers growing out of a small organic bush. With a mischievous grin, an idea came to mind.

Ducking low to avoid an arrow whisking above his head; he goaded the horse to charge directly at the shrub. With a crackling sound of upheaved dirt and grass, the bush surged upwards from the ground revealing itself to be a massive plant with a wreath of sharp leaf blades spinning in deadly spirals.

It was a parasitic plant commonly known as a peahat; it would normally lie in the ground waiting for potential prey to mistake it for another shrub. It would rise from the ground and chase its victims down slicing it up with its sharpened blades. Once dead, it would descend onto its meal and devour it slowly over the course of weeks as it resettled into the ground. Every fall they would sprout buds that would grow into peahats of their own which would travel the air currents to find new locations to grow its insidious brood.

Link observed that several buds at the base just above the blades were beginning to resemble baby peahats; good, he thought, this is the perfect time of year for this. The horse was clearly in a state of panic at the sight of the enormous plant spinning in a deadly arc towards them; Link forced the horse to run just past the blades as they whisked over him slicing a few strands of hair off his head. Blowing a sigh of relief at the close call, he reared the horse around to see if his plan had worked.

The two riders were slowing their horses down as they assessed the situation and the best approach to reaching the young boy. Their attention was diverted as three of the buds sprung off the peahat and flung themselves high into the air; miniature blade wheels sprouted from their undersides as they dived down at the two men. They split up as each horse galloped around the primary peahat; deftly avoiding the babies as they swooped in from above.

Link's eyes bulged as he noticed they were leading the little peahats directly at him; he kicked the horse into a charge at the nearest man. He really wished he had a weapon right now, sighing he decided to make do with the peahats swirling through the air. Movement out of the corner of his eye warned him of the imminent danger; Link slammed backwards into the rump of his sprinting horse as a peahat sliced through the air a foot above his stomach.

Slightly dazed at ramming his head injury on the horse, he wobbly sat back up into the saddle just in time to see one of the riders raise a sword to strike him from stallion. With a yank of the reins he swerved directly into the primary peahat as it surged forward to slice both horse and rider. The sword swung harmlessly past him as Link forced the horse in a circle around the irritated plant mother.

All he needed was a weapon! It was then a scream was heard as all eyes went to the younger of the two enemy riders; one of the peahat children had sliced off the man's arm. It lay twitching on the ground as it tried in vain to keep hold of its weapon. Taking this opportunity, he urged his steed onward towards the man's arm. The other rider quickly saw Link's trajectory and hastened to intercept him; he had to swerve to avoid another peahat as it cut through the air near his ear. Already sensing one of its prey injured, the large peahat eagerly rushed forward to envelop both horse and man.

Link knew it was going to be tight timing but he had little choice; the man would reach the amputated arm shortly after he did. Link swung a leg over so both feet were on one side of the horse. With one foot in a stirrup and a firm hand on the pommel, Link leaned down with arm outstretched to grab the sword from the jerking hand as the horse rushed past.

With a flick of the wrist, his fingers closed on the hilt as he swung his body up over the saddle facing backwards. Knowing the impending danger, Link ducked low over the body of his horse as he felt a rush of air sweep over him. Looking aft of the horse he saw the other rider wheeling around for another pass. Link quickly flipped in the saddle and urged the horse back around for the inevitable joust.

His concentration was briefly interrupted as a blood-curdling scream was issued from the one-armed rider; his horse had bucked him off and galloped away before vaporizing like black mist. The core peahat descended upon him with its children following suit; its sickly body pulsating with the gorging of its meal.

Link and the remaining rider sat on their horses staring each other down; with a kick to the flanks the man shot forward first. Link simply let his horse stand idly as the attacker charged ever closer. The man raised his sword in triumphant victory at the idiot boy who refused to escape his death. A look of confusion passed over the man's face as Link quickly leaped off his steed; kneeling on one knee, Link held the sword out slicing through all four legs of the careening horse as it dashed past.

With a stumble, the horse pitched forward ejecting its rider onto the ground. Link ran forward and stabbed the man quickly in the back. He needed time to make good his escape; with considerable effort he violently dragged his sword down the length of the man's backside until it came clear out slick with blood. Steaming entrails began slipping out of the body-length gash he had inflicted on the rider; Link nodded, that should delay him long enough to get away.

A stinging in his hand forced Link to drop his sword as it evaporated in a pungent mist that stained the ground black in the place where it fell. So they only last for so long, Link noted. Stepping around the horse shaped stain on the grass he walked over to his stallion and prepared to lift himself back into the saddle when he noticed two more riders up on the far rise.

"You're kidding me." Link exhaled.

With a start, both riders were charging down the hill towards him. He leaped into the saddle and urged the horse northwards. Hopefully he could catch up with the others in time…


	20. Chapter 19 - Enter the Gerudo

- **CHAPTER 19 – Enter the Gerudo**

Apolloni paced the parapets lost in thought at the curious message traffic they had been glimpsing within their rubies. Every Gerudo elder had felt the summons through their telepathic connection; Ganondorf had tried to contact someone outside their realm of purview. He was in constant connection with this unknown third party and it irritated her. It infuriated Nabooru although she dared not admit it.

It had been an interminable day of patrol for her; they had went as far as the Negev Marshlands, almost a day's journey south past Lake Hylia. They had avoided attracting the wrath of the indigenous creatures that lived there; humanoid reptiles that had taken sentience and were extremely lethal. They entered the fortress exhausted from their trip that morning; Apolloni was looking forward to being personally bathed and sharing the bed with her apprentice that night.

A hail from the nearby tower signaled intruders coming up the pass; she signaled Nabooru through her ruby of the incoming threat as she assembled a group to join her. They leaped down off the wall with spears in hand as they dashed for the bridge that spanned the gorge leading to the fortress. For centuries it had been the one bottleneck that led to their kingdom. They could defend it with ease and toss whoever lost into the raging waters below; if in desperate need they simply cut the bridge and let it fall, they could always rebuild it later.

Apolloni crouched down just behind a stone; giving orders to her women via hand gestures. Two hastened across the bridge and took up positions on the upper ledges of the valley. One leapt up to the high bluff and looked out onto the plains; the sun was just starting to set as it took the Gerudo several seconds to spot the inbound trespassers. She signaled back to Apolloni that there were two horses in one formation with four riders followed by two more horses with a rider each. A chase? Apolloni mused. It didn't matter. They would be dead before they set foot on the bridge.

The slow cadence of crickets were slowly drowned out by the rising patter of hooves striking the rock; the echoes ricocheting through the valley, setting each of the Gerudo on edge. The first horse galloped into view with two young children astride it; Apolloni raised a hand to stay the archers from firing. This was unusual to have two children at their doorstep. She decided it best to see who the other riders were following before making any decisions.

The second horse bolted into view as a rather rotund man was holding a young girl; frantically trying to keep the horse from careening off into the gorge. The three children were an oddity but there would be no men tolerated beyond the bridge. With a gesture two Gerudo pounced on the portly man knocking him to the ground with a thud; a third Gerudo quickly plucked the screaming green-haired girl off the horse as another quickly snatched the reins and brought it under control.

Within a matter of seconds the other Gerudo had dismantled the first horse of its occupants and held the three girls at sword point. Apolloni dismissed the children and stalked over to the man still struggling on his back to be set free from the vice-like grip of the other Gerudo. What a disgusting man, Apolloni thought, what was he doing taking these three children here? She placed a sandaled foot on his chest as she leaned over his face looking for any trace of a lie as she spoke to him.

"Why are you here? What business do you have with the Gerudo? Are these children yours? Answer me quickly." Apolloni threatened in a tone that wasn't meant to be questioned.

He stopped resisting the women as he lay on the ground breathless in terror of both what was chasing them and his past coming back to haunt him. He blurted out in a rush, "We're runnin' way from soldiers who won' die! Taken kids ta safety!" He coughed trying to gasp for air as the weight of Apolloni was slowly pressing into his chest.

A slow chirp from above directed Apolloni's attention down the pass as more hoofs were heard throughout the canyon. She signaled two Gerudo to haul the man off to the fortress for questioning; she readied her crossbow and took aim down the path. A hush descended as the Gerudo stood in utter silence awaiting the pursuers. She checked her look-out up top to see if she was reading her signals right; two riders on black horses. Seemed easy enough.

The first rider was blown off his horse when the force of four crossbow bolts slammed into his chest. The second rider swerved off avoiding several more bolts; they splashed uselessly into the nearby pond. The man guided his horse along the edge of the canyon wall when a spear hurtled through the air and impaled him against the rock face. He hung limply on the shaft as both horses dispersed into the air, unnerving several Gerudo in the process.

Ignoring the strangeness of disappearing stallions, Apolloni stepped over to the three children and looked into their faces. They were trembling with fear; they couldn't be any older than 12 cycles, she figured. They sure were a diverse lot: One looked like someone from the hicks complete with scraggly breeches, another had a torn white dress but Apolloni noted the red hair (very unique), finally she turned to the smallest of the three with what looked like a green tunic.

Just as she had finished examining them a small flicker of green light caught her attention. She knelt down near the green haired girl, "What is your name young one?" she asked soothingly.

"S…Saria." She said meekly, hands clasped behind her back.

"Show me that light you are hiding." Apolloni had spoken gently to her, but it was clearly an order.

Sora shot out from under Saria's tunic and buzzed in the Gerudo's face; she jerked back as the tiny sprite assailed her in a small voice, "Stay back from her! Don't you dare hurt her!"

Apolloni was entranced; she had never seen a real fairy before. This was getting more curious by the minute. A sharp trill interrupted her thoughts as she was directed to look over to the two men they had slain. Impossible! The man by the pond was slowly getting up after having taken four bolts to the chest! She swung her head in the other direction to see the second man slowly pulling the shaft through his body before hopping down to the ground; effectively unharmed.

One click of her fingers was enough to send the other Gerudo into the fray; they flowed in from all angles as they sliced up the two interlopers. Blood stained their blades as they appraised their handiwork; both men had been decapitated and various limbs severed. Apolloni moved to direct the Gerudo holding the girls captive to bring them in through the primary gate when another chirp was heard; irritated Apolloni looked at her scout, what now?

She stormed over to the center of the path, yanking a crossbow from one of her guards as she planted both feet firmly in front of the bridge; she aimed down the pass waiting for the three new horse riders to reveal themselves. Weeks of inaction and now struck with nine different trespassers in one day; she snorted derisively, this would not stand.

Nabooru stepped alongside Apolloni who merely grunted at her entrance to the skirmish. Nabooru calmed stood by, two scimitars in hand waiting patiently to puncture their first victims. The first rider roared into view waving its arms frantically as it yelled; she squinted as she tried to make out his facial features. Something about that young boy seemed awfully familiar.

"Not me! Don't shoot me! Shoot the men behind me!" Link screamed as he galloped past the first wave of Gerudo; bewildered at this they turned to the two elders for guidance.

The realization slammed into Nabooru like a thunderclap, her hand shot up like a missile as she yelled, "Hold, this boy is not our enemy. Focus your attacks on his hunters."

Their eyes met briefly as he raced past them and across the bridge; Apolloni gave a cry of outrage as she glared at Nabooru for letting the child through. She ignored her look of disapproval and refocused on the task at hand. The clops of the hooves were getting louder as they all tensed to attack this new menace. Nabooru flicked her eyes as one of the corpses dragged itself across the ground and clutched its head in order to reattach it; several stunned cries erupted from among the Gerudo at this impossible event.

"What devilry is this?!" Nabooru demanded.

An arrow hurtled through the air; a quick mental warning from Apolloni was enough to give Nabooru time to react to it. She crouched low and began dashing for one of the horses in attempt to knock its rider to the ground. The boy had already dismounted and was futilely talking to the three guards who were refusing him from conversing with any of their captives. As one of the women shoved him to the ground in exasperation; she was directing him to leave when he looked over and noticed Nabooru charging Talamir.

"Nabooru! They can't die!" Link yelled across the gorge.

It was enough of a distraction to interfere with her objective; with her attention misdirected the man backhanded the Gerudo knocking her to the ground. The black haired man knocked an arrow and released it; piercing through one of the Gerudo scouts on the bluffs. She collapsed with the pain and slid off into the gorge screaming the entire way down.

With a startled cry of protest, Link grasped one of the spears that a Gerudo was holding and ran across the bridge back into the fray. The weight of the spear was awkward as he tried to maintain balance running; he had never scrapped with a spear before, he was unsure of how well he could execute blows with one. Timner was almost upon him; trident raised he planned to skewer Link to the bridge planks.

Link had been hoping to have crossed the gorge prior to the conflict but had no other choice; he ducked to both knees as he jammed the butt of his spear into the bridge. Timner reacted too late as he swerved his horse; it slipped on the planks and fell onto the raised spear. The weight snapped the pole in two as the blade ascended deep into its flesh. With a whinnied shriek of agonizing pain the horse pitched forward and fell flailing off the bridge.

Timner dove off the stallion and landed directly on top of Link pushing the air out of him; the bridge oscillated precariously as several support ropes had been severed with the advent of the horse. A pitched battle was raging across the gorge with a dozen Gerudo fruitlessly fighting three well-trained men of war who seemingly shrugged off all attempts to be slaughtered. More Gerudo were dying than they could afford.

Zelda screamed as Timner came to his senses and realized where he was. He grinned maliciously as he grasped Link's neck and began choking the life out of him. "I have you now boy! You cannot escape this time!"

An arrow whizzed into his back, merely grunting from the sting, he continued his stranglehold on the boy. Link was straining to breathe amidst the man's crushing grip; he tried to kick out with his feet but only managed a weak shake of the foot. His vision was starting to dim as Timner was laughing in triumph. He was finally going to kill this meddlesome boy!

A blow to his head affected a release on his grip; Link hacked in racking spasms as he tried to gulp in precious air. Timner looked up to see the young, red-headed girl looking furious at him. One glare wilted her expression as he punched her across the face. She tumbled off the side of the bridge managing to only grab one rope suspension line; she screamed in terror as her feet dangled thousands of feet over the rushing waters.

The rest of the Gerudo let loose their captives as Zelda ran to Malon to assist her from her predicament. Timner replaced his hands around Link's neck and resumed squeezing the life out of him; He did not notice until the spear was through his heart that he had been hurt.

Saria had hung back as her captors surged forward to strike the man down who was choking the boy. If this was the taste of battle and what it was like; she wanted no part of it. Sora huddled next to her neck for comfort as they gazed on the horrific mêlée unfolding before them.

"Cut the lines!" Nabooru yelled as she signaled the rest of her women to fall back. It was clear they were not going to win a battle against men who refused to meet the Goddesses.

She turned to see the young boy she knew being strangled to death; she clutched a spear from one of her scouts and ran across the bridge ramming it into the man's heart. He turned to her with a look of surprise; he had released the boy once more which was a relief to Nabooru. The man stood up with purpose; with a forceful cry of pain he dragged the spear from his chest with a sickening shuck. Nabooru was incredulous at how these men could seemingly receive lethal strokes in stride.

The bridge swayed dangerously as the two girls on the edge screamed; Zelda had almost pulled Malon from the edge. Nabooru and Timner were locked in battle; her scimitars flashing in the sunlight as she blocked, parried, stabbed, and sliced through Timner. He made futile attempts at gouging her with the spear tip but she was too nimble to be caught. Another scream from the girls as she knocked the man against the sides of the suspension ropes, swinging the bridge at an awkward angle.

The rest of the Gerudo were still cutting the lines; Nabooru was prepared to go down with the intruders if need be. The protection of the fortress was of the highest priority. All were willing to die for that purpose.

Talamir caught another Gerudo off guard as he cut through her abdomen watching the blood spill out onto the ground as the woman slumped over in shock. He apparated a bow into his hands as he readied an arrow; the boy was his target. The red-headed woman did not matter.

Recovering, Link rolled over onto his stomach as an arrow thrust itself into the board plank he had been lying on. He quickly glanced up to see Talamir placing another arrow onto the drawstring; with little time left he dashed over to Zelda. With one heave from the two of them they lifted Malon over the edge as all three ran across the bridge towards the remaining Gerudo guards who were unsure themselves what to do.

Apolloni leapt onto the bridge to assist her elder sister in fighting the man; Timner was clearly outmatched in skill and he knew it. With each parried blow he stepped further back towards the edge of the gorge, closer to his brother. One final snap signified that the bridge had been cut. Both elders leapt and grasped the rocky ledge on the other side; Timner fell with the bridge down into the gorge. He was enveloped in the rushing rapids in seconds.

Talamir cursed their luck as he noted his other two men walk up beside him. No matter, he thought, I can still accomplish my goal. He raised his bow and took careful aim at the boy; he let loose the arrow as it honed in on its unfortunate target. A splatter of dust and warmth brushed Talamir's face as he glanced over at one of his men being turned to ashes. With a jolt he spun around to see two old witches on brooms flanking a formidable man arrayed in nothing but sack cloth.

Another blast from the central man vaporized his other companion into nothing but atoms. Without a further thought Talamir dove into the gorge and took his chances with the craggy rocks below. The man stalked over to the edge and looked down; with a disdainful huff he grabbed the blubbering old man he had brought with him. With a grand heave he threw him clear across the gorge and was caught by several Gerudo on the other side.

Apolloni looked on with delight as Nabooru turned away in disgust; Ganondorf had returned. With a flurry of magic incantations and drawings imprinted into the air, the three of them floated over the gap and landed safely onto the other side. Ganondorf surveyed the scene as his eyes riveted on the four children; he took specific note of the young blond-haired child that looked remarkably like a boy. The child looked familiar but he couldn't place where he had seen the kid.

A cry erupted from Link which startled the group. He was holding a young girl in his arms, crying as a shaft protruded from her stomach; Sora was squealing in panic as she tried her best to staunch the flow of blood from the wound. Saria had stepped in front of Link to protect him…


	21. Chapter 20 - Practical Medicine

_This chapter was pretty hard to write, especially since I actually did a huge goof typo at the end of the last chapter, the wrong person got shot! Seriously! Oh well, I flexed the story a bit and I think it turned out better as a result! For those who are unsure about some references in the text, Cycles are years; Orbits are months; and Moons are days. Just FYI._

- **CHAPTER 20 – Practical Medicine**

The Gerudo fortress was impregnable to all but the craftiest of thieves; and even those few eventually got caught. Guards were stationed at every known corner of the compound to prevent entry to their private domain. It was built and carved into the surrounding rock over the centuries; small square holes chiseled into the brick and mortar acted as primitive windows into the interior. Inside every corridor was a dry, plain, but strangely warm set of hallways which linked and interweaved with each other. Little was placed on the walls for decoration; if anything was deemed fit, it was usually the skulls, skins and other mementos of the kills the Gerudo had made.

It was here that strangers were finally allowed in after eras without a single foreign agent; the group was ushered through the halls with Ganondorf in the lead. One of the Gerudo women had picked up Saria and was carrying her; Link and the rest of the group were escorted under guard and had no choice but to follow. Malon was unsure of where they had taken her father and was praying for his safety. It was clear that they had not suspected Zelda was a girl for they treated her just the same as Link; slight disdain but not outright hostility for they were still children after all.

Ganondorf turned around to the group as he reached a juncture, he indicated with his arm down the corridor to his left, "Take the injured in here and see to their wounds Nabooru. Let it be known that I am gracious to guests within my home."

He left them with a disconcerting smile as he stormed off down the opposing hall with the witches slinking along in his wake. Nabooru directed the guard to quickly set Saria's tender frame on the adobe slab in the center of the room. Saria had been extremely quiet the entire time; her eyes had begun to glaze with shock from her injury. She simply withdrew into herself; it worried Link greatly to see his friend like this.

"Get back." Nabooru commanded as she placed Zelda, Link and Malon in a corner of the room. There was an inlaid alcove in the wall which could have been a bed; Link hopped up onto it to rest his weary legs, the other two followed suit. They all leaned over, craning their necks to look around the Gerudo healer to see if Saria was going to be all right.

"Set up some heat." The healer directed Nabooru, "We will need something hot to seal the wound once the arrow is removed."

Nabooru strode over to the nearby hearth jutting out of the wall; seemingly built out of muddy clay. The interior seemed to be made of red brick plastered with cement refined from a process they learned from the old scientist at Lake Hylia. They said that man was good for something; for it surely wasn't sex! Why Ganondorf would bring that man into their domain, she could only wonder.

Shaking her head, Nabooru heaved hard on the wind press spiking the flames of the hearth higher. She grabbed a thin piece of metal and set it inside the brick grill and left it there to get heated. With her task accomplished she walked back over to the medic who was examining the puncture wound of the arrow.

"Good." The female nodded to herself, "It went straight through her. The arrowhead is sticking out the back; we can easily snap it and take both ends out cleanly. I will need some Nayru weed."

The medic pointed to a jar on a high shelf just beyond Nabooru, she turned and found the bottle she was indicating. It had a small amount of bluish leaves that gave a small, incandescent glow. What an odd plant, Nabooru thought. Shrugging she opened it up and gave some to the woman examining Saria. She snipped a few leaves off with her nails and threw them in a pestle, she then grinded them to a fine pulp before flexing her fingers for the trickiest part of the operation.

"I need you to hold her down," she gestured to Nabooru, "she will probably struggle a good deal at this next part."

Saria being abnormally still, let herself be rolled onto her side by the two women as Nabooru calmly placed a firm hand on her shoulder and another on her leg. Sora hovered over the entire debacle with rising alarm; her light flickering in greater degrees of agitation. With a breath, the healer snapped the back end of the arrow shaft in two as Saria let out a cry of discomfort. Once the shaft was being slowly pulled out of her body the writhing began; Nabooru forced the screaming girl to be still as the last bit of the arrow slipped out of her body.

Flung back into reality, the pain hit Saria like a freight train as she thrashed this way and that. Sora literally fell out of the air as she was struck with the shared pain of her lifelong companion. Link leaped out of the alcove and dove to pick up Sora from the ground; one of the Gerudo guards at the entrance raced in to stop his advance. Link raised his hands in surrender as the guard slowly brought him back on his feet, spear prickling his neck.

"I am just going to grab her fairy. That's all." Link gingerly nodded down at the wriggling fairy.

The guard merely shook her head, "You are still a prisoner until I'm told otherwise. Get back and sit with the others."

Scowling, Link sulked back to the wall recess as Zelda gave him an ardent look; she knew they were being overly cautious about the whole affair of strangers in their midst. The guard untrusting of her new captives decided it prudent to stand guard next to the pain-wracked fairy on the ground. Her eyes drawn to it; none of the Gerudo had ever seen a fairy before and it was utterly fascinating to them.

"Nabooru, keep her steady! I need to insert the weed quickly into the wounds!" The medical female shouted.

Nabooru increased her grip on the flailing Kokiri girl. The medic quickly took a glob of the weed and stuffed it firmly into the back wound; digging her fingers in deep to make sure it was securely inside the body. She grabbed the girl's belly and quickly laid her on the back as she inserted the second batch of the herb into the frontal opening. With a gesture to Nabooru to keep the Kokiri steady, she walked over to the hearth and picked up the hot metal rod.

Malon's eyed widened at the radiant red end of the metal pole; she swiveled over to Link and looked at his eyes. He was just as anxious as she was about the whole ordeal; he was biting his lower lip in uneasy anticipation at what was going to be a bad scene. Zelda's body went rigid as her hand found Link's and gripped it tightly. They all knew what was coming and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

The Gerudo looked over at the three children with sympathy, "Please understand this is for her own good."

Nabooru watched the Kokiri's eyes expand as the sizzling metal rod dipped towards her belly to touch the bloody puncture wound. Saria shrieked in agony and thrashed to be free of her captor's grip; the healer merely pressed the burning rod deeper into her skin and held it there. Sora was rolling on the ground emitting sparks of dust; Link longed to run over and comfort either one of them and was infuriated that he could do neither.

With another rough turn, both women rolled Saria over as she screamed again when the metal touched her back wound. Malon pressed her face into Link's shoulder trying to block out the images of Saria throwing her body across the operating slab. With one last gasp it was over. They flipped the Kokiri onto her back and let her lay there crying; her mind reeling at the intense feelings coursing through her body. Never had she felt anything of the like in her entire life. Pain was not something a Kokiri feels.

"It is done." The Gerudo medic nodded her head; replacing the rod back into the hearth. "The weed should help heal any organs punctured inside of her and the wounds are sealed for infection. She just needs a few days of rest and she'll be good as new."

Nabooru nodded to the woman, "Thank you. You may leave."

With a bow the healer left the room without making a sound. Nabooru clicked her fingers to establish one guard next to the Kokiri while she directed the other to remove herself from the fairy and post by the entry. She kneeled down and picked up the dainty sprite, caressing it in her smooth hands. Gazing at the miracle blooming in her hands, Nabooru gently laid it to rest on the chest of the Kokiri girl. Instantly she calmed and was still; her breathing was starting to slow indicating she would ultimately be alright.

Nabooru satisfied with the Kokiri turned to the three children. She strolled over to them with the grace of a feline Zelda noted; her movements were actually beautiful and articulate. With hands on her hips she appraised each one in turn before speaking to Link.

"I remember you boy, what was your name again?" Nabooru queried.

"Link." He said flatly. He was not sure what they were going to do with them.

"Ah yes!" She clapped her hands in remembrance, "You saved me from doing a foolhardy thing back at our temple. For that you always have my gratitude."

"Will you let us go?" Link asked hopefully; trying to give her his best puppy look to hopefully thaw her heart.

She gave a lilting laugh as she patted him on the head lightly, "Absolutely not. Just because I gave you a free pass to leave unhindered through our domain for saving me does not warrant a second time; especially since you willingly came back to me yet again! Mmmm..no." She mused with a finger to her lips, "I think I'll keep you and enjoy the man you'll become!"

Link blushed furiously as Zelda's mouth plunged open in shock. Malon turned pink with rage, "You can't do that to him! You let us free right now! We did nothing to-"

Malon yelped as Nabooru flicked her mouth hard with her fingers. With a condescending tone she looked down on Malon, "You do not speak to an adult in that tone. Any Gerudo child knows her place and does not speak out of line. Since you are with us now, I suggest you start learning that quickly."

Malon already hated the woman and just wanted her gone. Nabooru took another look at Malon's face and noticed her nose had been twisted at an awkward angle. A sudden movement startled Malon but by then it was already too late to react. Nabooru had lunged in grasping the back of Malon's head and with her other hand clutching her nose; with a sharp yank an audible crack was heard throughout the room. Malon shrieked in anguish clutching her nose which has started to freshly bleed again.

"There." Nabooru nodded, "It would have done you no good to have your nose heal like that. I'll take your screaming as an apology and as thanks."

Leaving the whimpering girl cradling her face, she turned to the other two children. "I cannot let you leave. I don't have the authority to decide that anymore."

Zelda chimed in, "Is it because of Ganondorf?"

Nabooru cocked her head at the strange looking boy, "How do you know about our king, Ganondorf?"

Zelda stuttered faintly at the unexpected question; she should have known better than to reveal her knowledge! "I…er…live in the castle and heard what had happened and…"

Nabooru saw through the lie, "Children are also taught not to lie in our culture. Our punishments for lying can be quite severe." She gave a stern look at Zelda, "Such as cutting out your tongue."

Zelda's tongue rolled back into her mouth with a lump, lying was not her strongest suit. Nabooru looked them over once again and guesstimated their ages. "Speaking of which," she added nodding to Link and Zelda, "You two are close to breeding age within four to five cycles. Until then, I think I can convince the other elders to keep you in the interim. Manual labor should suffice until such time your duties become far more interesting."

Link and Zelda's eyes met as they gave each other a sidelong glance; it was clear in her eyes that she knew she was being mistaken for a boy. With her ruddy tunic, breeches and slicked back hair tied in a short pony tail she could be confused for a lad if one wasn't looking close enough. With an insignificant shake of the head Link mouthed not to reveal she was female just yet. They didn't know what they would be up against and what they'd be forced to do.

"And you," her attention fell back onto Malon who was shooting daggers at Nabooru, "you're within apprenticeship by about two cycles. You are free to play with the other children under strict supervision until such time you are of age; then you are to follow all orders and instructions from your superiors and ultimately your sponsor who will be your master."

Malon's mouth dropped as she was affronted with being treated like a child. She could help out with horses and other animals too! She crossed her arms and fumed at Nabooru, she was not going to respond to this horrid woman; she sniffled slightly before wiping some blood from her upper lip onto her dress.

Nabooru returned the gesture folding her arms, "Shall I break that nose for you again?" Stunned, Malon shook her head vehemently, Nabooru continued, "Then I suggest you stop giving me that attitude. We have strict rules here on how everyone should act in accordance to their superiors. Learn them well and you'll go far here."

"Don't you hate Ganondorf?" Link interjected.

Nabooru shot him a look that sent him shuffling further back into the wall recess, "My opinions I voiced about my lord, Ganondorf, are irrelevant to the situation at hand. Regardless of my feelings on how he rules our kingdom, he is home now. I must obey his wishes and follow his orders." A slight shiver traveled through her body; Link seemed to be the only one aware of the visual change in her demeanor.

She grumbled something under her breath and turned to the two guards. "You carry the Kokiri and take the other girl with you. Place them in some quarters; you heard Ganondorf, they are our guests for now until we are told otherwise. So please make the accommodations nice."

Turning around towards Link and Zelda; Nabooru was unaware of Malon sticking out her tongue behind her back. Link had to stifle a chuckle lest she figure something was amiss. The guard gently picked up Saria and with a jerk of her head directed Malon to follow her out of the room; Sora lay cradled in her companion's arms, rubbing her chest in-between her tiny fingers.

"You boys will share a room," she paused momentarily, "we actually…don't have any rooms reserved for such visitors. So you will have to make do with what we have."

She nodded over to the remaining guard and they followed their escort out of the room, Link turned around as Nabooru called out after him with a wicked grin, "I will definitely be watching you Link. You are going to grow into a very handsome man."

Link quickly spun around as he kept his eyes to the ground; what was it with all these females muddling around with his brain? Link tilted his head away from Zelda as they followed the guard down the corridor; he didn't want her to see his rosy cheeks at the thoughts swirling around in his mind. First it was with Malon in the stable at Kakariko, he really didn't know what they were doing but he liked it. Then Zelda who always looked sad whenever he mentioned Malon; now Nabooru trying to tease him about the man he was to become. Why did he get all this attention? He just didn't understand it!

"In here." The female guard roughly intoned as she shoved both Link and Zelda into an enclosed room and swiftly locked the door behind them.

Link assessed the room in which they were thrust into, it was pretty bare bones; he imagined Saria and Malon having much nicer accommodations considering they were girls. The walls were comprised of brick and mortar that was peeling in various places in-between bricks. There was a single wash basin and a bucket in the corner for bodily needs. Zelda gasped slightly at the lack of privacy the room had. Opposite the door projecting from the wall was a chimney-like fireplace which has seen better days; thankfully there were some logs nearby and some kindling to help start a fresh flame.

Zelda regarded the wooden plank attached to the wall by bolted chains; she walked over and slumped down on the unfeeling wood, "So are we guests or prisoners?" She exhaled.

Link shrugged, "A bit of both I guess." Surveying the room for other beds he decided, "You can have that bed if you wish Zelda. I can sleep against the wall."

She quickly hopped off in embarrassment at having claimed it first, "Oh, I'm sorry Link. No, you take it!"

He raised a hand up and gestured for her to sit back down, "No, it's okay. You're the girl, you have the better bed."

"I'm a boy, remember?" She smiled.

Link grinned back before giggling, "Yeah, I guess you are. I can't believe they think you're like me!"

They both laughed at that. He walked over to the logs and examined the kindling. Nodding to himself he turned to Zelda, "I think I can make us a fire in a little bit if it gets chilly in here."

Zelda simply nodded as she lay down on the hard wood; it wasn't exactly comfortable to lie on. She could even feel one of the protruding nails digging into her side unpleasantly. Laying there she simply watched as Link stood up from the fireplace and walked over to the bucket; he stood there a few seconds before looking back in her direction.

"Um, Zelda? Can you turn around please?" Link asked.

She lifted her head up, "Huh? Why?"

Link sheepishly grinned, "Because I have to pee."


	22. Chapter 21 - Sacking of the Castle

_This chapter was especially difficult to write. I knew I needed to flesh out the characters of the four antagonists in a way that was beyond just torture and bloodshed. But I still didn't want to diminish their lethality by making them more human. Each one has his own reasons to do what they do, hopefully I've done my part in shedding some light on what their motivations are. Furthermore, hopefully by now you've all started to get a 'feel' for each of the new villains. Each one is quite unique from each other and I feel provides a good dynamic between the four. Something that'll be expounded upon in future chapters. Hopefully everyone catches all the foreshadowing, there is lots of it here._

- **CHAPTER 21 – Sacking of the Castle**

He stepped over the charred remains of the corpse lying at his feet; the acrid smell of burning flesh was blowing on the winds. Ash flew through his hair and attached itself to his clothes. Hyrule town was burning. The man skimmed the central plaza in disgust; they didn't even put up a fight. Most of the town had been evacuated save for a few elderly who couldn't travel and those too stubborn to leave their home. He regarded the castle burning on the higher hill overlooking the down, this certainly would not do.

The man turned to his commander, "Thanan, see to it those fires are put out at the castle. There are valuable resources we need there. I do not want them to be laid waste."

"Yes my general!" Thanan gave a swift salute and was off like a shot; shouting orders to nearby soldiers to help assist in dousing the boiling flames.

General Naar paced over to the side streets leading to his ultimate objective. Even in the dwindling twilight he could see the barrier surrounding the temple. It was a shimmering, translucent field that encompassed the entire grounds of the building; its luminous, orange glow lit up the surrounding area with its light. Several of the men were huddled at the base of the barrier off to one side; they were fiddling with various contraptions.

"What is this?" Naar demanded, frightening the men at his sudden appearance behind them.

One of the braver men stood up amongst the others and gave a hurried salute, "We aren't exactly sure sir! This was here when we arrived. It destroys anyone that touches it."

"Really?" Naar was intrigued. He strolled up to the crackling aura; he could palpably feel the ripping energy coursing through the field. Imagining it, he was sure he could see the barrier almost bulge outwards in attempts to touch him. With a heave, he grabbed the neck of the soldier nearest him and threw him into the field. The sudden scream was instantly silenced as the man vaporized into nothing more than a bloody mist.

"Fascinating!" Naar commented, crossing his arms in thought. "Whoever did this is extremely talented. Quite remarkable." He mused to himself.

Naar swept aside the men, cape billowing in the wind of the raging fires, completely indifferent to their frightened stares at his passing. It was clear that they were not going to get through that barrier by any means they had at their disposal. They needed more knowledge about this problem; there was still a lot they didn't know about this temple. Too many questions and very few answers!

His thoughts were distracted when two men galloped up the main street sopping wet. Each leaped off their horses and stalked over to Naar, saluting briefly to their general.

Naar kept walking, "I assume you've come to tell me of your success?"

Keeping pace with him, both men hesitated slightly before the blond one spoke, "We were ambushed by a very powerful Gerudo man and two witches."

Dual swords sliced through the air as each man groaned in swift, sudden pain. Talamir's torso slumped off his waist as his face slammed into the cobblestone street. Timner feel face forward trying to catch himself as he was divided at the knees. Both men were cursing in the pain of their failure; Naar was heaving with rage at these two imbeciles.

Normally he would have destroyed these two idiots for their multiple disasters long before now. Why did he choose to make that stupid vow to their mother? She had died in childbirth; each boy had grown to full maturity in the womb and was straining the woman every day. When the time came for them to be delivered, complications arose which prevented all from surviving; the doctor made the hasty decision to save the children from certain death. In her final death throes she made him vow to her to protect his nephews. Naar hadn't expected things to turn out the way they did or he would have flat out refused.

With a puff of evaporating mist, the swords were gone as Naar looked down upon his idiotic nephews. What a disgrace they were to the grand campaign; couldn't even kill a single boy! Reviewing his gory handiwork, Talamir and Timner were struggling with voracious zeal to reconstruct their bodies.

It was Talamir that whined first, "But Naar, he was a powerful user of the dark arts!"

Naar kicked Talamir's face so hard his upper body did a flip through the air as he hit the ground groaning. "Why is it that this infuriating child keeps getting away? There must be someth…did you say a male Gerudo?"

Naar knelt down and lifted the moaning Talamir up by the chin, "There was a Gerudo man there? And two witches?" His voice commanded attention, even Timner stopped attaching his legs as he raptly looked towards the conversation.

Slightly gasping from the pain of being lifted by his face alone, Talamir managed to rasp, "Yes…he had short red hair and a ruby inlaid into his forehead."

Naar dropped his nephew with a grunt, "So the successor to the throne rises." Naar ruminated more to himself than to the grumbling men at his feet. "Now things are getting interesting."

Timner whispered to his brother as he dragged his right leg over to his bloody stump, "You should know when to shut the hell up around him."

Talamir continued to rub his bruised face as he dragged himself over to his lower body, "I wish I could, but I keep forgetting." Timner merely shook his head in disgust; why did his brother have to be so senseless?

Talamir cringed in throbbing pain as Naar smashed a boot heel into his arm, preventing him from reaching the remainder of his body, "You should be thankful I am bound by my vow to your mother or I would have new commanders!" Naar spit in Talamir's face as he continued with venomous resolve, "Unfortunately for me I have to uphold that vow or you two would be nothing but ash!"

Talamir cried out as Naar twisted his heel in further, "Now get up and get yourselves to the castle to assist Thanan in dousing the flames. No more failures or I shall string you both up in chains; a body part for each chain!"

Gasping as Naar released his arm from the pressure he limply crawled over and reassembled himself. Timner was whole by this time and helped his degraded brother up onto his feet. Naar had already left them and was heading towards the castle, his lengthy, white hair swirling about his imposing figure.

"I truly think he hates me brother." Talamir grimaced as he held his side during the excruciating process of restoration.

With his brother's arm wrapped around his neck, Timner assisted him in walking a ways, "He regrets both of us. We probably shouldn't have been born in his eyes. Only Ballos holds him to his pact, otherwise I'm sure we wouldn't be here."

Talamir sneered at the comment, "Yes, I guess we should all be thankful of this wonderful 'gift' that was bestowed upon us."

Timner noted the sarcasm in his brother's voice, "You know it was the only thing we could have done to save our people."

"But at what cost?" Gently pushing away from his brother, feeling a bit steadier on his feet, "Is this the way we wish to live? To be remembered by?"

Timner looked around the town, at the broiling fires and smoking remains of the remaining citizens who chose to stay. He sighed, "We don't have a choice anymore, and our hands are tied. This is who we are now."

Each man was silent as they walked onward towards the castle to assist in quenching the raging pyres.

**-Break-**

The castle had fared better than the rest of the town; the majority of the fires was secluded in specific sections and was not spreading as quickly to adjacent areas. Various sorcerers were stationed on the upper hill and surrounding walls casting spells to drown the heat of the conflagration; success was evident as Naar treaded up the hill to examine their progress. He spied a slender figure giving directions to several soldiers who raced into the castle to secure the interior.

Thanan was nowhere near the build of Naar but he held a commanding figure that inspired dread in all who met him. His grace and etiquette both on and off the battlefield was exemplary and wormed its way into Naar's good graces over the course of years. Showing up shortly after the national pact was formed, Thanan was an anomaly to Naar. He did not know his origin or his heritage; he merely assumed he was a fellow Nevachrean, especially now with his sharing of their abilities.

Thanan was also Naar's favored commander; they shared similar interests and much of the same humor. It was clear to those who viewed the pair that Thanan had secured his position as the literal right-hand man to the general. However, there were oddities about his character that even Naar had to take note of. Several specific tastes and preferences of Thanan put him on edge and gave the impression that he was not all there. Despite this, Naar could always rely on him to accomplish any task; he was invaluable.

"Any word on the status of our goal?" Naar questioned as he walked up beside Thanan.

Thanan barely gave Naar a hint of recognition at his entrance; he was quite comfortable with his general's presence and seemed to have no fear of his volatile disposition. This quiet confidence both infuriated Naar but granted the man great respect in his eyes; where most would cower with fear, Thanan would bravely stand up to him. He had some guts Naar had to admit.

"It is still intact sir. Would you like to see it?" Thanan gestured towards the front gates.

With a rough nod, they were off down the path. They entered the main hall and were directed to a side passage by Thanan. Naar took the opportunity to behold the vast splendor that was Hyrule castle. Colossal marble pillars adorned the edges of the hall as impressive tapestries hung along the walls. Naar sneered at the opulence displayed in front of him; the sheer arrogance of the place revolted him. He turned to the side and spit on the tiled floor.

It was a few more turns and another staircase leading to an upper floor before they stopped presently at a set of double doors. With a grin, Thanan took both handles and pushed the frames apart revealing the vast library within. Even Naar gasped at the wealth of knowledge housed within the room. The chamber had three separate floors with ladders enabling access to each landing. Shelves filled with books reached up to the arching ceiling high above them.

"Extraordinary!" Naar exclaimed as his eyes expanded at the vast store of information contained within those tomes.

Thanan smiled, "Most of them are written in Hylian script so they will need to be translated. But I assure you that whichever books you require we will get our sages on them right away!"

Naar stepped over to a nearby shelf and extracted a single, tattered tome and gazed at it; he swiped off the years of dust from its cover and felt the engraved ruins along its surface. He looked over at Thanan, "Do you think it's here? What we need?"

Thanan merely shrugged, "Hard to say in this mess. It might be days before we find what we are looking for, or it could be years. That is a lot of books to navigate through." He waved a hand at the rest of the room.

Naar agreed as he opened the book; several of its pages were loose at the bindings and were slowly falling out. Various deposits of silt and unknown flecks slipped off the pages and fell to the floor as he carefully skimmed the book. Such odd letters, he noted of the Hylian script. Surely there would be something in this vast library that would tell him of the fabled Triforce. He shuddered in anticipation, he was so close to his goal but there were still many hurdles left to achieve it!

Shutting the book tight he placed it lightly on the nearby reading table, he walked back over to Thanan. "I want all of our sages locked within this room until they finish their job of translating and transcribing all these books. Notify me if they find anything with regards to what we seek. You can allow the prisoners to bring them food and provide any necessary entertainment if they please. I am retiring to my tent, see to it that nobody disturbs me; there is a highly interesting female that I'd like to get to know better."

Thanan licked his lips longingly, "Speaking of entertainment sir, there was found some lovely horses in the stables and two of them are quite able-bodied. Would you mind if I took one of the mares as my own?"

Naar studied Thanan's eager eyes with curiosity, what a sick individual he was. What atrocious things went through that wicked mind of his? It really didn't matter what strange passions the man had, as long as he maintained his usefulness, Naar really didn't care. He certainly was an odd one though.

Naar waved a dismissive hand, "Go enjoy your horse. May she treat you well."

Thanan saluted and practically pranced out of the library down the corridor. Naar had to admire the man's enthusiasm, just wish he would channel it to more worthwhile pleasures. With a reverent grace, he slowly shut the two doors to the library and proceeded down the hall. He stepped back outside and examined the town below him. The fires were slowly abating; they had conquered the capital.

The army had reached the gates of the town and were situated just outside on the plains; poisoning the very ground with the tramping of a million boots, refuse and urine. The grass beneath their feet was nothing more now than churned mud and filth. Naar swept through the massive throng heading for the primary tent towards the center of the encampment. It had high wide-swept wings held up by arching poles at each of its corners. Emblazoned banners were strewn across ropes that traveled back to the center pillar that provided stability to the entire structure.

Naar swiped the flap aside as he looked upon his prize with glee; she turned around shocked at his appearance and frantically crawled backwards to get farther away from him. He merely laughed as he grabbed a leg and dragged her across the ground before flipping her onto the bed of furs.

"Now let's see how unique you truly are!" Naar leered at the poor girl.


	23. Chapter 22 - Interrogation

- **CHAPTER 22 – Interrogation**

He had no idea how long it had been since he was placed in the cell. It was cold, lifeless and dry; his throat was parched at the lack of water he had received. He had tried railing against the bars the instant they tossed him in here but they were thick metal poles unyielding to his strength. With one final gasp of exhaustion he slumped to the ground and slowly watched the fading light of day cast its shadows across the room from the tiny portholes carved into the brick.

It was like reliving a nightmare he had long since forgotten; a slight constriction in his chest started to form as panic began to set in. Would he even be able to escape this time? Memories came flooding back at the treatment he endured so many years ago; the only time they were remotely nice to him was when they forced him to their beds. Once they were finished with his body they'd cart him off only to dump him back into one of the cells awaiting the next time he was needed in that way.

One woman fancied him more than the others and kept asking for his company almost weekly. He wasn't stupid; he could tell the difference after a time between the women in their internal caste system. This woman was definitely of the highest tier in their society and was far more loving than the rest of the women who had used him; what was strange about her was that after copulation, instead of immediately sending him off to the dungeons, she would ask about his life and how he lived outside of their fortress. She seemed utterly fascinated about what lay beyond her borders but was powerless to actually go out to achieve it.

Over time her swollen belly became to emerge as it was clear their carnal evenings had produced a baby. The nights with the woman were some of his more pleasant memories of this place; she actually treated him like a real human being. Pregnancy was never an issue and was actually desired among the Gerudo; although Ganondorf was in power at this time and had access to any of the woman as he pleased, each Gerudo was secretly hoping for another boy to carry on the lineage of the king.

They would spend nights talking about what it would be like in the 'outside' world raising the new unborn child. The woman would continually ask questions regarding how one would live on a ranch, tending to animals she barely had any concept of. When they had finished their talks, they would make love once again and then have him sent on his way back to the cell. He tolerated the jibes and abuse from the other women as long as he knew he had a supporter.

One day the child was born; it was a girl like the rest of the children birthed to the Gerudo. She had slightly tanned skin but it was clear some of the paleness came from the father. The baby only had a few wisps of hair but it was evident she would follow in her mother's footsteps with a brilliant mane of red tresses. Once the child was born, he was denied access to the woman from then on; his task accomplished he was transferred to another woman to impregnate.

The nightmare descended again as the mistreatment from the other women increased tenfold. It was almost a year of spiraling madness before he was summoned to his child's mother; it was a clandestine meeting. She wanted to show him the beautiful child they had produced and give him some small solace that what they had done together was not in vain. He passionately expressed his distaste to leave his daughter in a society that would condone such abhorrent, deviant behavior. The woman merely shrugged, it was what they've always known; it was how they survived.

After bedding him one last time, instead of sending him off, she finally let him sleep beside her that night. It was long after she had fallen asleep in his arms when the idea sprouted in his head; he gently slipped out of the furs and walked over to his baby girl. She needed a life that was better than this. Crooning softly to the child as he cradled her in his arms, he quietly exited the room and rounded his way through the corridors. He had very slim hopes, if at all, that he would actually escape but he had to try. He was also certain that if he were caught escaping with one of their babies he would most certainly be killed; he was willing to take that chance.

A sudden unlocking of the bolted door at the end of the room jerked him away from his memories. He remained where he was watching the three women enter the chamber. Two were leading a third with one of them carrying a wooden chair while the other a loop of rope. They unshackled the chains and lock around the prison door as they swung the bars wide with a squeak. A candle was lit by the third woman as the light played across her face.

Backing up involuntarily as he recognized the face of the third woman; it was the mother! What new devilries was he going to be subjected to now? The two servants set the chair in the center of the cell as the other roughly grabbed him up off the floor. They pushed him down onto it and started tying the ropes around his body securing him to the chair. With a quick snap of fingers, the leader of the three directed them to wait outside the door to the chamber.

As the wooden door shut with a crunch, the woman gracefully walked up to him; she had an air about her of grace and majesty. If she wasn't a Gerudo and the implications that name held, many a man would literally throw themselves at her; not that she'd mind he wagered. She grabbed a lock of her long hair and gently swirled it around in front of her before finally letting it rest on her breast; was she actually trying to entice him? After all this time?

"Mmm…Talon, you've really let yourself go." Nabooru smirked as she looked at his plump body.

"Humph!" Talon seethed, "I had nothing left ta live fer! All I had was my daughter. She was all that matter'd!"

Nabooru crossed her arms in contempt, "Is this how you treat your benefactor? The one who enabled you to escape with _our_ daughter? Don't you forget that I gave birth to her, you ungrateful wretch."

Talon turned away from her face, "At my expense! Ya didn't ask what I had want'd, ya simply took!"

Nabooru grinned but did not move, "It is what we do. We need children to keep our society alive." She quivered slightly in disgust at the next thought, "Ganondorf can only be in so many places at one time." She finished with a grimace; she always did hate their visits together.

Talon remained staring off into the corner as he flatly questioned, "So why did ya help me escape? What did it serve?"

"I saw something different in you; something I still can't place. An inner furnace that warmed me to the core; most men would be clamoring to be in my robes before the day was done. But not you. You did it because you were forced to."

Nabooru stepped up to him and with a finger to his chin guided his eyes back to hers as she softly whispered, "It wasn't until I asked about your true desires and pleasures in life that your attitude changed with me. Over time I grew to respect the man who now sits before me."

Talon's demeanor did not change, "Ya still haven't answered my question!"

Nabooru's eyes softened, "I guess a part of me wanted our children to live out there in the world. You convinced me of something I never thought possible. So I helped you."

A glimmer of hope emerged in Talon's eyes, "So will you let us go if we ask?"

A charming laugh erupted from Nabooru's throat at his outrageous suggestion, "Oh, Talon, you are hilarious." With a deft movement she was on his lap; legs wrapped around his waist as she breathed in deep his manly scent barely inches from her nose.

"What are ya doing?" Talon exclaimed surprised at the sudden change in Nabooru.

"I was willing to let you go that first time Talon. However coming back of your own free will, I don't think I have another choice but to keep you here. With Ganondorf back, I don't have much clout in setting you free." Nabooru hummed, gently nibbling on his ear.

Talon saw the conversation going south quick, "Nabooru! I'm not the man I once was…I-"

She leaned back to admire him, "Mmm…you're right about that." She sniggered, "I've never been with a fat man before but I'm willing to try new things."

Talon blushed furiously at her laughter, "That's not the point! We were on a mi-"

She silenced his protests with a rushed kiss. She grabbed the back of his head and pressed in with her lips; tongue slightly invading his mouth as she reveled in the feel of his body pressed up against hers. She withdrew briefly, "It has been a long time," she began huskily, a primal urge slowly taking over, "we can talk later."

Talon was quickly being silenced in the overbearing heft of her feminine wiles; he almost wanted to give in to this but knew his daughter came first. He shook his body as violently as he could against the ropes holding him still. Nabooru let out a note of disgust at the interruption as she glared at him unwilling to let him go.

"What man?" She demanded.

"I refuse ta be a prisoner again!" Talon heaved, "I would rather die than become that!"

Nabooru gazed at him a moment considering something, "You know," a guttural tone slipping back in, "I can probably get approval from the other elders to make you my personal manservant. There is precedence for such a thing." She began to kiss his cheeks once more and licked his lips, "All you have to do is ask and you belong to me. No one else will dare touch you and all children we make would be ours."

Talon was being overrun with her female urgency, it was all he could do to keep himself above the depths of his passion; it was just a simple thing to just give in to her and embrace the oblivion of pleasure. She reached down with one hand and felt his pining member and moaned in anticipation of what was to come. She deftly started unbuckling the belt around his tunic as she kept one hand pressed on his head forcing him into the kiss, tongue reaching in to caress his; the feel of his mustache tickling her nose and exciting her further.

It was like a bolt to the heart as an image of Malon's face flashed through Talon's mind; he knew what he had to fight for. He jerked backward so hard that the two of them fell backwards as the chair thumped against the ground. Nabooru rolled off with a cry of fury at his insubordination to her needs; she leaped atop him and expanded her hands ready to rake her nails across his face.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now for insulting me!" Nabooru breathed heavily, rage apparent on her face at having been denied the carnal pleasures of the flesh.

"If ya kill me, ya'll never receive the love of _our_ daughter…ever." He stated it plainly; it was a clear threat.

She relaxed the grip on his throat as her clawed hand descended slightly, "Is she here? Was she one of the four children you brought?" A look of worry glossed over her face.

Talon coughed a bit as she released his throat entirely, "Yes, and her name is Malon."

Nabooru leaned back against his knees as a slight tear trickled down her cheek, "And you brought her back here…"

Talon merely nodded. Nabooru's voice was shaky with an oncoming grief, "You foolish man. I thought you would have left her to live her life out there." She gestured to the windows, "Now that she is here, there is no possible way she can be free. She will most likely be inducted and become one of us."

He softened at her despair of hearing the news, "I believe ya can still fix things and bargain our release. We need ta get away from the Nevachrean army."

His reference galvanized her senses, "Yes, the army." She nodded her head, wiping away her tear. "Why did you come here with four children? Who are they?"

Talon, slightly uncomfortable with her still sitting on him shifted; the weight of them both was pressing his knuckles hard into the brick flooring, his hands were slowly becoming numb. "They were children placed into my charge ta take care of. We were directed ta seek refuge here with the Gerudo."

Nabooru looked down at him in astonishment, "You were told that? Did they not know who we are?"

Talon grunted, "I thought the same thing; but she was adamant."

Nabooru grinned, "She?"

He shook his head, "Not like that. She was a Sheikah. She was planning ta meet us here after we had been secured safely behind your borders."

"Where is she now?" Nabooru asked.

"I haven't the foggiest." Talon admitted.

Nabooru regarded intently his eyes as she asked, "And of our daughter? How is she?"

Talon smiled at describing the light of his life; the one good thing to ever happen to him. "She is the most beautiful angel! She loves animals more than anything and has aspirations ta become a horse trainer one day. Her long, red hair is such a delight to gaze upon…reminds me of…"

Talon stopped his reminiscing as he noticed Nabooru placing a hand to her lips in dismay, she whispered, "So it was her."

"What?" Talon was befuddled.

Nabooru rose up off of him and brought his chair back onto its legs. She quickly untied him and released him from the chair. Swiftly crossing the cell, she re-shackled the prison bars before he had a chance to catch up with her. She gave one last look at him, her feelings evident in her eyes.

"Thank you Talon. I am going to see _my_ daughter." She smiled wanly as she left him.

Talon pounded against the bars as she whisked by the lit candles; flames wavering in the wind of her passing. "Nabooru! Don't you dare touch her! She will never be one of you! Get back here! Nabooru!" He yelled after her, but to no avail. He sagged to the ground weeping at what was to become of his daughter. He felt his life was over yet again.

Nabooru gently shut the door behind her, blocking out the ravings of the man she had once known intimately. She glanced to the sides and realized the guards she had placed outside the door were no longer there. She had little time to ponder the thought when a hand grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the door, jarring it on its hinges. The deadly grip lifted her off the ground as she blindly kicked the air trying desperately to remove the hand strangling the air out of her.

"You always were a troublesome woman, Nabooru." A voice churned in the darkness.

Her hands feebly grasping at his fingers, Nabooru croaked, "G..Ganon..dorf!"

He stepped into the light as the flames played across his features; his crook nose casting evil shadows across his cheeks. Sidling up next to him was his personal whore, Apolloni. They flashed each other a glare of loathing before Ganondorf's grip redirected her eyes back to his. Apolloni merely smiled at the mistreatment of her fellow elder; they were never on good terms and had always disagreed at council meetings. The fact Nabooru was their de facto leader when Ganondorf was gone infuriated her.

Ganondorf cocked his head at Nabooru, "You never were one to follow the rules; always tweaking them so that it suited your needs." His grip tightened around her neck as she choked, "Must I remind you who is king of the Gerudo? I am your master and you obey the laws I set down! Do you understand me?"

His rage blasted into her face like a hurricane, she could do nothing but weakly nod. His grip loosened as she slid down the wall, coughing as she gasped in precious air. Apolloni moved forward to hurt her as well; Ganondorf merely stretched out an arm to prevent her. Nabooru realized her error and there was no point in making her suffer further. Ganondorf tolerated his subjects far too much he knew, but they were all still family; like any family there were several members you had to bring under your heel.

"Nabooru." Ganondorf demanded with a quiet menace to his voice, "Did you discover anything from that man?"

Recovering with one final hack she looked up into his eyes with lethal intent; she knew that he outmatched her, but it didn't stop her from glaring at him. "Yes…they were sent to seek refuge here by a Sheikah."

"A Sheikah you say?" Ganondorf mused, "That explains the disturbance I felt amongst the sands tonight." He chortled, "Funny how she would consider us as being a viable alternative."

"What shall we do with them, my lord?" Apolloni gleefully chimed.

Ganondorf's gazed flickered to Apolloni; she was a striking woman in her own right. Not as gorgeous as Nabooru, but her brunette hair was intoxicating to him; it was rare that any Gerudo was born with anything but red hair. Apolloni had risen through the ranks quickly and was rival to many of the other elders in her sword skills; she was second only to Nabooru, a fact which broiled her rage to no end. Her only flaw in Ganondorf's eyes was her hot-headedness; she would jump to action before it was prudent to do so.

"Release them." Both women were frozen in shock at this unexpected command.

"My lord?" Nabooru questioned.

"Release them, but do not let them leave the fortress. They may be prisoners, but they are also my guests." Ganondorf explained, his tone implying that he should not be questioned.

Apolloni's anger started bubbling, "I don't understand! We never released anyo-"

Ganondorf struck her to the ground with a backhanded slap, "Do not question my intentions again!" Nabooru simpered as Apolloni clutched her cheek in shock, "They will have proper quarters established and will have limited range of movement. I will direct later the places in which they cannot go. For now, see to it that they are fed and taken care of."

Nabooru bowed low, eager to get back into Ganondorf's good graces and to spite Apolloni further, "As you wish my lord. Why the sudden change of heart?" Nabooru dared ask.

Ganondorf considered a moment before responding, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

With a gruff parting he paced down the hall, receding into the darkness.


	24. Chapter 23 - Truth or Dare

- **CHAPTER 23 – Truth or Dare**

Link awoke with a jolt as a hand clamped down over his mouth; with a yelp of surprise he quickly rolled off the wooden bench that doubled as bed and landed in a half push-up on the brick floor. He flipped up onto one knee as he looked at the person who awoke him; standing mere feet away from him was Impa. His shoulders visibly sagged at relief for he thought it was someone or something more heinous. It was then he realized he had been sleeping on the bench rather than the floor. He peeked over to the bed and saw Zelda still sleeping soundly with her back to the room; he blushed furiously as Impa eyed his reaction.

"H…how did you get in here?" Link rasped trying to find his voice after having been shocked out of deep sleep.

Impa gave a little huff as she folded her arms, "I am Sheikah. I go where I please. It appears to me that you like getting close to girls Link."

A small grin spread across one side of her mouth, but she tried her best to hide it as Link stuttered, "She said she was cold, so I started a fire." He indicated the smoldering logs, the initial flames having long since gone out. "After a while the chill started to settle in, so she asked me to keep her warm. I didn't know what else to do, so I just laid next to her to make sure she was warm. I wasn't-"

Impa laughed softly, "I knew what you had done Link." She waved a hand to dismiss his fears, "I was simply teasing you. I understand this is an interesting time for children as they start to grow into the adults they will become. You must be carefully guided through that or you will make poor choices."

Link stood slightly dazed; still unsure of what she was referring to, "So I'm okay?"

"You're okay." She smiled warmly.

Link ran into her arms and gave her a joyous hug as she gratefully accepted the embrace; she placed one hand on his hair and gently smoothed it down. Impa was the closest thing he had to a mother; especially since she was there when his true mother died in the Lost Woods. Impa had buried her body near one of the roots of the great Deku Tree and after having made sure he was safe with the other Kokiri in the village, left him to his fate. It was what his mother wanted.

Link unrelenting in his hug looked up into Impa's eyes, "Where is Epona? Did she make it here safely?"

Impa tickled the back of Link's ear as he giggled at her touch, "Yes little one. She is currently resting in the stables as we speak. I dare say the stable girl will get quite the surprise this morning when she sees a new tenant." Impa smiled at this thought.

Link looked around the room but did not see any portholes opening out into the night sky, "What time is it Impa?"

"It is just past the zenith of the moon; it will be a few more hours before dawn breaks." Impa answered.

They released each other and stepped back a few paces before Link went over and squatted next to the fireplace to tend to the logs hopefully promoting further heat. "Did you find out what they are going to do with us?" Link was hoping for some good news.

"I'm afraid not." Impa said with some discomfort, "I had hoped the meeting with the Gerudo had gone better. I miscalculated and for that I am sorry. Placing you in these prison rooms was not my intent; my knowledge of how Gerudo do business is somewhat limited."

Satisfied that more heat was generated from the fire hearth he got up and paced back over to Zelda. "They placed her in here with me; they thought she was a boy. Could they not see she wasn't?" He looked up to Impa for answers.

Impa breathed a sigh of relief, "I was not sure if my stealth haze was sufficient enough to throw off the Gerudo. The Sheikah have many abilities, one of them being able to modify our appearance just enough to look like someone else. There are limits to this, such as being unable to change our hair color." She ruffled the top of her gray hair, "I don't think I could pass off as anyone but an old lady now."

Link laughed at the comment, "Yeah, I can see that!"

Impa shot him a dirty look, "You dirty scrub. You watch your manners!" More laughter from Link, Impa simply shook her head and let the matter drop. "Anyway, I had placed the stealth haze on Princess Zelda in hopes they would mistake her for a boy."

Link beheld Zelda still lying on the bench, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. "What purpose did that serve?" Link was baffled.

"I had hopes that if things didn't go according to plan and they considered you prisoners, I wanted her thrown in here with you." Impa explained. "I knew you could protect her until such time I was available to be by her side."

Link clasped his hands behind his back as he looked at the ground, "You had that faith in me Impa?"

"Yes, I did." Impa warmly spoke. "Enough talk, I imagine tomorrow is going to be a long day. Go lie down next to Zelda and keep her warm. I will remain in the corner. I will wake you as the sun rises."

Link watched as Impa leaned up against the wall at the opposite end of the room and slowly meld into the shadows. Satisfied they were being watched over he lay down next to Zelda and rolled over; he observed the back of her golden hair and marveled at how Impa could deceive everyone into thinking Zelda was a boy. He closed his eyes and within minutes was gone.

**-Break-**

A sharp hiss forced him to spring his eyes open; he rolled over to see Impa placing a finger to her lips as she merged with the shadows. Clanking of keys were heard outside the door as a key was forced into the lock and turned. Zelda was startled awake as the chamber door opened wide letting light from the outer hall seep into the room. Standing in the door frame was a Gerudo elder, marked with the Ruby engraved on her forehead. She quickly motioned for both of them to follow her.

Link quickly looked back but saw nothing but an empty corridor; but he knew that Impa was somewhere behind them slowly trailing their group. Slightly blinded as they passed by some recessed windows in the brick; Link looked out and saw the morning sun slowly cresting the peaks of the canyon that the fortress lay in.

The brown haired Gerudo stopped abruptly at a door and susurrated a command to have them enter; still unsure if they were in danger they quickly entered the room. Directly ahead of them in the center of the circular room was a fire pit recessed into the floor; crackling flames shot upwards as the heat from the room washed over them as they arrived.

Beyond the pit was a throne of wood and metal; crowning the seat like a halo of thorns was the lower jaw bone of some large beast, teeth still intact. Various furs draped over the cathedra while various fabrics were hung off the sides like vile decorations. Lounging in all his supposed magnanimous glory was Ganondorf; one leg slung over one of the arm rests as he leaned back against the seat of the throne; a servant girl was slowly feeding him grapes, a rarity in the desert. He was adorned in the full regalia armor of his tribe; a lightweight suit of mail with intricate designs of black, brown, reds and oranges.

To his left were five elders of the Gerudo tribe, with Nabooru sitting closest to Ganondorf. With a look from him, Apolloni excused herself from Link and Zelda and proceeded to the right hand side of the throne; she sat cross-legged next to Ganondorf, his heel aligned with the height of her head. Nabooru's stare was not lost on Link as she tracked Apolloni across the room. Once the brown haired Gerudo elder had taken her position did Nabooru turn back to the two boys.

Off to Link's left were Malon and Talon, they were seated off to the side on some cushions, clearly not in a position to interfere with the council meeting. Link's fingers were briefly squeezed by Impa before her hand disappeared; his rising fear quelled slightly knowing that she was near. With a jerk of his head, Ganondorf indicated they were to take their positions on the provided cushions just in front of Talon. It was obvious that based on the seating arrangement, Link was the sole focus of the gathering.

Link shifted uncomfortably in silence as the apprentice poured several cups of steaming tea; she offered one first to Ganondorf before turning to each of the elders. They each graciously accepted a cup of the brew; each holding the little cup in both hands as they waited for the girl to serve the guests. Link set the example by taking a proffered cup; waiting for his friends to take one as well, all he could think about was how it was burning his hands.

With a casual wave of dismissal from Ganondorf, the apprentice bowed low and exited the room, securing the door behind her. Lowering his foot off the armrest and sitting tall, Ganondorf raised his cup high into the air.

"To our honored guests." He drawled.

All eyes were on them as they tentatively lifted their cups; with a gulp Ganondorf downed his tea as each of his elders followed suit after him. Feeling it prudent to wait until they had finished, Link swallowed his; he almost hacked as the scalding fluid seared his throat. Although he managed to drink without incident, Malon was not so lucky; several frowns were shot her way as she spluttered up some of the tea.

"To business then." Ganondorf decreed. "You are the boy they call Link, am I correct?"

His manner demanded an answer, Link merely nodded. Here he was sitting mere feet away from the greatest foe he had ever faced, drinking tea with him as if they were friends. His mind reeled. Just how much of the future did I really change? He wondered.

Accepting this nonverbal answer, Ganondorf continued, "You have had extensive experience with these Nevachreans as I'm told. Can you please tell me more about them?"

Link took a moment before his courage caught up with his voice, "I have fought them several times, yes." Ganondorf leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs as he clasped his hands under his chin; he grunted to have Link proceed, "Nothing seems to kill them. I have sliced them apart, cut open their bellies, sawed off their heads, and I even blew one up with a bomb! They just keep coming back."

Ganondorf showed no sign of emotion; he sat quietly absorbing it all in. Unsure of what else to do, Link continued, "They have a general that leads them, his name is Naar. He has three men working close with him, Talamir, Timner and Thanan. They can bring weapons into their hands from nothing; they can make horses appear out of thin air. I don't know what else they can do."

"What were you looking for in the east?" Ganondorf interjected.

Link froze at the question, how did he know he was traveling in the east? After a pause, he could see Ganondorf growing restless from the wait; he surged on, "I was tasked to find the three stones of power. I-"

A squeak emitted from Zelda as she tried to warn him from revealing too much of their plan. One glower from Ganondorf put Zelda in her place; she wilted back onto the cushion as she dejectedly looked at the ground. Link was revealing their hand and there was nothing she could do to stop him!

"Proceed." Ganondorf said with a low growl in his throat.

Link swallowed hard, he was quite unsure of how much he should say now. Just how much did Ganondorf know? How much would Link be losing if he told him everything? Ganondorf's eyes burned into his own; the sheer intensity of his gaze sent chills down his spine. He was searching the truth in Link's eyes as he spoke. Unbeknownst to the group, Ganondorf was in perpetual communication with the elder Gerudo as he listened to Link speak.

"Uh…I was tasked to find three stones of power." Link began again, a slight tremor in his voice. "One we already have, the Kokiri emerald with Saria." Link blinked twice; he was unsure if he saw a flicker of light play across the ruby on Ganondorf's brow. "We had the Zora sapphire before I was captured; now it is in Naar's possession. The Gorons traveled further west with the Goron ruby towards the Xaagar Mountains. They are far from our reach on the other side of the army."

Link briefly looked back to Zelda as she returned his weak smile; thinking he was done expounding his story he leaned back slightly in relief. He was slightly unnerved when Ganon brought him back into the discussion.

"And these three stones of power, do you have any idea what they do?" A wry look was all it took for Link to assess that Ganondorf knew the answer to what he asked.

Link's mind scrambled as he tried to find some way to cover up the truth; how much had Ganondorf known of the Master Sword and Triforce before they stopped him? Without any other recourse, Link plainly stated, "Yes."

"I find that highly intriguing that you know as much as I do on this matter. May I go so far as to say you know a great deal more, Link?" Ganondorf paused just before saying the name with purpose.

Link gulped. The entire situation was unreal. "I don't believe I do…sir." Link hastily tacked the respectful title at the end.

An uncomfortable pall descended on the room as the only sound heard was the snapping of the fire. Silence screamed throughout the room as the two leaders of the discussion stared each other down. Link's will was placed to the test as a strange force emanated from Ganondorf; worming its way through his body, seeking the inner secrets of his mind. Teeth slowly grinding together, it was all Link could do to keep from gasping from the mental intrusion.

Ganondorf was irritated he could only get brief shattered images; nothing coherent would surface from the boy's mind. His telepathy only truly worked with others of the stone; he could get a clear picture of what a person was thinking or seeing if they were connected to him through the rubies. His attempt to pry into the boy's mind was met with little success; he did know that Link was keeping something back from him, but it was unclear as to what.

Changing his tactic, Ganondorf shifted the conversation to one of plans, "Well it seems simple enough. It is evident that these stones of power have what we need to combat this foe. We will send riders northwards around the army and secure the ruby from the Gorons. Then we have several regiments of Gerudo to sneak into the army encampment and reacquire the sapphire. With the emerald already in our grasp, we should have all three in our possession. What happens next?"

Link saw through the ploy, Ganondorf was rephrasing the question in such a way that any answer he gave would either be seen as a lie or the actual truth. He gritted his teeth for he knew he was losing the trial of wills, "We bring them together at the Temple of Time." He hoped he didn't have to reveal that the Royal Family ocarina was needed to complete the ritual.

"Why would we go there?" Ganondorf probed.

Damn him! Link fumed. Ganondorf was leading Link right into giving everything away! He was sent back in time to stop this from ever occurring and here he was giving away the very secrets that would bring him back into power again! If he lied or tried to leave the meeting, he knew it would end badly for him and his friends; he was trapped like a rat in a cage and he saw no way out.

"It is the only way to access the Master Sword." Link admitted.

"Who would wield such a holy relic?" Ganondorf relentlessly pressed.

Link turned briefly to look helplessly at the others; Talon and Malon merely shrugged their shoulders for they hadn't the foggiest what the real answer was to the question. Malon didn't even know what the Master Sword even was! Zelda subtly shook her head and mouthed a silent 'no'. She knew it was Link who could wield the Master Sword, the hero that the sword had chosen. A curt rumble from Ganondorf drew him back to the conversation at hand.

Link sighed despondently at revealing the truth, "Me."

Malon let out a gasp, as Talon grunted in surprise.

Ganondorf's eyes widened slightly at this, "You." He said flatly.

Link nodded, "Yes. I pulled out the Master Sword."

Ganondorf rose from his throne and slowly walked over to Link; looking down on his miniscule form Zelda was worried Ganondorf would crush Link with his bare hands.

"Yet it lies dormant in the Temple of Time still, sealed from entry. You did not pull it out yet did you?" Ganondorf lead with the question, prompting an expected response.

Link thought he saw a way out of this, "Yes, I'm sorry. I thought I pulled it out, but I didn't. I was mistaken."

"Liar!" Ganondorf bellowed as he snatched the collar of Link's tunic and dragged him into the air inches from his face. Talon rose to attack Ganondorf when a raised hand from the Gerudo king slammed him down into the cushion with malevolent energies. Malon whimpered as her father cried out in agonizing pain. Zelda rose with a start but was thrust onto the floor with two blades at her neck; Apolloni grinned down on Zelda eager for her master to give the word.

"You already pulled the sword out before. You came back from the future didn't you?" He shook link roughly, tossing his dangling legs to and fro, "Didn't you?!"

Link could only wheeze at Ganondorf's grip; he tried to claw his fist off his tunic but his efforts were fruitless. Ganondorf continued his tirade, "Do not think you can lie to me boy! I know more than you think! So that is how you knew when and where to stop me, it had already happened before! So what occurred then? Did I manage to claim the Triforce as my own and you were sent back to stop me from succeeding? Answer me!"

Ganondorf violently shook Link as his head wobbled brutally from the shaking; he felt a massive headache creeping up the back of his skull. "You succeeded, yet…you failed." Link managed to utter.

Ganondorf dropped Link onto the cushion as he released Talon from his magical shackles. Malon rushed to her father's aid and pushed him back up against the wall to relax. With a snap, Ganondorf ordered Apolloni to resume her former position; she grimaced at the lack of blood spilled that day and skulked back to the other elders. As she sat down she sheathed her scimitars into their scabbards behind her back as she eyed Zelda with malice.

Ganondorf merely stared at Link, with a monotonous tone, "Explain."

Gently rubbing his sore neck, Link defiantly spoke, "You are not balanced Ganondorf. True, you succeeded and touched the Triforce…but you still failed. For you to have the full power of the Triforce, you need to have stable balance of power, wisdom and courage. You lacked that and so it split leaving you with only one piece of the whole!"

Ganondorf seethed at Link's insolence but he couldn't deny the information being yielded, this was invaluable and it explained a lot he didn't know about the Triforce. With a roar of rage, Ganondorf swirled around and raked his hands through the fire; flames shot up to the very ceiling of the chamber marking its passage with a black spot of soot. He was so close to figuring out his claim to the Triforce only to be stopped by something he couldn't control! Something he hadn't even considered in his most complex plans; the fact that the Triforce had a failsafe.

"Leave me." His voice was hushed but his intention was clear.

Zelda quickly braced one of Link's arms over her shoulder as she guided him out of the room; his legs wobbling with each step. Talon and Malon quickly followed suit; eager to be away from that awful man and his harem of cohorts. No sooner had they got outside the chamber that two guards rushed up to them.

"You are to follow us to your new accommodations." One of the females directed.

Link's mind was a bowl of mush. There was nothing left to give. The encounter with Ganondorf took all the mental fortitude Link had in him; he was exhausted from the meeting. Zelda stumbled as his legs gave out and he fell to the floor unconscious.


	25. Chapter 24 - A Prophecy Foretold

_Life is finally catching up to me, so my updates will be less frequent. Anyway, I am setting the ground work here in this chapter for basically what will occur in the final third of the story. Kudos to anyone who can correctly guess what it all means; does not mean I'll confirm or deny any of your theories. But you'll be that much more smug when your correct theory comes to pass. I am doing a lot of setup here to make sure the next few chapters and ultimately the transition to adulthood for all the child characters comes easily. Enjoy everyone and thanks for the support!_

- **CHAPTER 24 – A Prophecy Foretold**

Link's eyes flickered open to the dull sense of being touched; he couldn't quite place where he had felt the warmth of sensation. A tender squeeze of his hand finally woke him out of his lethargy. He groaned as the aching in his head beat something fierce inside his brain. Saria was standing next to him looking on with worry as he lay on the bed recessed into the wall. Sora buzzed in from atop her hair and landed directly onto his chest; with arms crossed, she leaned over to scold him.

"You scared all of us half to death fainting like that! If I was any bigger, I'd spank you like the bad child you are!" Sora scolded with an agitated flash of her wings.

Link smirked, "You weren't even there you little brat!" Sora gasped with indignation as Link continued before she could interrupt, "And it is a good thing I'm bigger than you, your swats hurt enough as it is!"

"Link!" Saria exclaimed.

"It's okay Saria, stand back. If he wants to be knocked out again, I can make that happen!" Sora started to roll up the leaves adorning her arms as she marched across his chest to pop him in the nose.

With a quick flip off the table, Link landed on his feet just as Saria hopped away from his sudden movement. Sora flew off to avoid being flung through the air with the force of his body. She was zooming back in for another pass when Saria stopped her; with a vexed huff Sora flew to Saria's shoulder and landed gently. Leaning against her ear, Sora shot a glare at Link.

Saria merely shook her head as she grinned, "Why must you always tease her like that Link? You two have been at each other's throats since you could talk!"

"Because she's just so funny to tease!" Link sat back onto the slab laughing.

"Humph! I've always persisted that Navi take another Kokiri rather than some Hylian. But would she listen?" Sora snorted flicking her nose up in the air.

Pierced by the weight of her words, Link looked down at his feet in misery at the memories of Navi flooding back. When Navi first came to him that one morning, he had never been so excited in his entire life; finally a fairy of his own! He was to be a real Kokiri! Things never did seem to turn out the way one imagined them. He couldn't understand why she left him so abruptly without even saying a word; their job done he had expected they would go off to live the rest of their lives together, two souls bound as one.

"That was a bit much Sora!" Saria chastised the sprite.

Sora's wings drooped, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize what I had said! I didn't mean it."

Without even looking up, Link sighed, "Yes, you did Sora. You said what you felt."

Sora hovered over to Link and softly flicked off the tear trailing down his cheek before nuzzling in the warmth of his neck. "I apologize from the depths of my little heart! So…do you forgive me?"

Link merely shifted his gaze to see the imploring look in Sora's eyes; he sat there in silence. After a moment she flew further into his view before asking again, "Do you forgive me?" Link still held his tongue and simply stared at the fairy who was trying her very best to look innocent. With a frenzy of wings she buzzed closer to his face, "Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you?"

With each question Sora shifted her position and poked a finger into Link's cheeks; after the fourth time he couldn't stand it anymore. He broke out laughing as he swung his arms wildly through the air to defend himself against the rogue fairy that refused to leave him alone until he accepted her heartfelt apology. He buckled over onto the slab as the fairy assaulted his body, tickling him from top to bottom continually asking him, "Do you?"

"Saria, help! Call off your fairy, please!" Link howled with suffering.

"Nuh-uh!" Saria shook her head and folded her arms, "You teased her first and started this mess; you accept her apology first!"

"Saria! No…help!" Link's body went spastic as Sora dove into his sleeve and went for the armpit.

The chamber door slammed open suddenly emitting a shriek from Saria at the sudden explosion of sound; Talon trampled into the room looking for the unknown threat to Link's safety. Eyes swelling at the image of Link writhing across the adobe slab in abject agony, he rumbled over to assist in any way possible.

"Link! Tell me where it hurts! How can I help?" Talon exclaimed nervously.

Sora shot out of Link's tunic and down into Talon's with a yell, "No one is safe from my wrath!" She cackled maniacally.

"What the? Agh…No!" Talon yelled realizing what was really going on before dancing around the room trying to get the rabid fairy out of his clothes. Link heaved as he recovered from the intense tickling, laughing continually at Talon's plight.

Although Saria enjoyed the exciting show she knew it was time to stop, "Sora. Get back here."

Sora emerged meekly from under Talon's collar and flew over to her companion. She exhaled, her hands cringing in mock villainy, "You're no fun! I almost had them at my mercy!"

"I know you did." Saria laughed as she held her hand out for Sora to land on.

Link turned to Talon after the merriment in the room subsided, "So what happened? Where have you been?"

Talon, trying to catch his breath still, "Phew…well ya collapsed on us Link. We thought ya had some fever or somethin'. Ya were taken here ta rest. You've been out fer an entire day m'boy!"

Link marveled at the news; it had only been early morning yesterday when he spoke with Ganondorf, "I've been out that long?" Talon and Saria nodded, he turned to her, "When did you get better?"

"Just this morning, I've been awake for a few hours." Saria explained, "I heard about what happened to you so I decided to stay by your side."

Link beamed affectionately, best friend indeed. With much appreciation, "Thanks Saria, that means a lot to me." He looked back at Talon, "So where are the others? What happened while I was out?"

Talon clapped his thigh, "Well wouldn't ya believe it! The Gerudo started being nice ta us; they gave Malon and me a funct'nal room with two beds," he paused briefly to indicate the alcove Link was sitting in, "well, as much as ya could consider those beds. And…erm…they put you and Zelda together as well." Talon looked slightly disapproving of the notion.

Saria interposed, "It is Zander now."

Talon grumbled at the correction, "Yes. Impa came ta me last night ta assist in keeping up the ruse. They all still think Zelda is a boy; we are ta call her Zander whenever we are in the presence of the other Gerudo. Malon is still restin' in our room, but Zelda might be off wandering the grounds."

Link's eyes widened at this news, "We are free to move about the fortress?"

Talon nodded, "Indeed, it is the darndest thing. Whatever it is ya said in there with Ganondorf must have changed their minds! Sure, the women still give me stares but they don't bother me none!" He seemed visibly relieved at this. "We can't leave the fortress though. Malon already tried that and was denied."

A rustle at the door focused all eyes onto Nabooru who filled the doorframe with her voluptuous body. Talon's face went red but hid it well with his gruff demeanor. The woman gazed in at the occupants before her eyes settled specifically on Link.

"Good to see you awake my young man." She grinned as she crooked a finger to signal him to follow.

"Wait a minute! Where ya taking him?" Talon was instantly suspicious.

Nabooru shot him a look before explaining, "You two may follow if you wish. There is nothing I'm going to show him that I wouldn't show the others. There are no secrets here."

"Humph!" Talon puffed as he stomped out of the room after them.

Nabooru weaved the group through the hallways of the fortress, slowly progressing deeper into the rock from which the fortress was carved. The frequency of guards became apparent the further they went. They saluted their leader as she swept past and nodded briefly at her guests. Some of the more stringent Gerudo felt violated at the intrusion of males in the fortress and gave glares at Talon. Link looked back awkwardly but Talon merely groused his disdain for them. Saria tugged on his shirt sleeve to snag his attention, it was given to her almost immediately.

"Yes, what is it Saria?" Talon questioned.

Saria looked up at him with penetrating eyes as she tried to catch up to his longer gait, "Why did you decide to follow us and see what Nabooru has to show us? Why are you angry all of a sudden?"

Knowing that she was still a young girl, he tried to control his fury. He breathed in deep and continued walking after the group for a while before turning to Saria again. "It's a long story, one I'm not rather keen on tellin' right now. Sorry for being gruff. But its adult business; nothing fer ya to be concerned about."

Saria, having living in a forest with other kids her age, had no concept of social etiquette. Having never backed down from a question once she asked it, she persisted in her best child-like voice, "Why did you decide to follow us and see what Nabooru has to show us? Why are you angry all of a sudden?"

Talon stopped in mid-stride clenching his fists, he was on the edge of his nerves. He must have patience with this little one, he reminded himself. "Never ya mind Saria." He growled and continued on. She had no need to know his private affairs and what the Gerudo did to him. He kept his eyes forward on Nabooru as she guided Link onward through the passage.

Saria was more curious than ever; completely missing the cues that Talon did not want to talk about the issue, she caught up with him and tugged once more on his sleeve, "Why did you decide to follow us and see what Nabooru has-"

Saria squealed as Talon roughly swooped her up by the shoulders and brought her level to his eyes. She winced at his strong grip and shied away from his intense brown eyes which seemed to be staring into her very soul. Sora flapped quickly into his face to ward off his fury.

"You put her down this instant, you big brute!" Sora demanded, her light flashing dangerously.

Talon's eyes glazed as he realized what he was doing; shaking his head as if to brush off whatever had come over him, he gently put her down. Mumbling a quick apology, he resumed walking faster so he could keep pace with Nabooru and Link who were slowly gaining distance on them. After a time, following the twists and turns of the fortress, Talon replied without looking at Saria; knowing full well that she was listening to his every word.

"If ya want to know, I plan to have a chat with Nabooru tonight outside her room. If ya want to sneak by and eavesdrop our conversation, that's fine by me." He spun around to face her before whispering, "Just do not tell a soul! Understand?"

Saria nodded energetically as she finally got an acceptable answer to her questions. They resumed walking towards the end of the corridor where Nabooru and Link were waiting somewhat impatiently for them. As they arrived, Nabooru drew out a key from the folds of her inner leggings right in front of Link, which made him blush. Talon caught this and knew she did this on purpose, like everything else she does. She gave Talon a wicked smile before turning to the door to unlock it; she pushed it open to reveal darkness inside.

She ignited the torch hanging on the wall just outside the doorframe and went inside first. She gestured to Link and the others to come in as she strapped the torch into a wall receptacle to keep it secure. It was a simple white-wash room of hardened clay quite unlike the rest of the Gerudo fortress. The space was small enough so that the lone torch illuminated the entire chamber. Adjacent to the torch was a wall mural which appeared to be the subject of Nabooru's attention.

"I brought you here to see this." Nabooru pointed at the mural. "This was discovered not more than a month ago; however with recent events with Ganondorf, Naar and other things…" She paused.

Talon interrupted before she could continue, "So what's the big deal? It's just a painting you people made at some point in time."

She threw a dirty look his way before promptly ignoring the comment, "This was not made by us, or rather by anyone alive in our domain today. We found this single room while we were expanding the fortress; our builders stumbled across it. It is as if someone or something built this room by itself in the solid rock, closed it up and left it here with this mural on the wall." She stopped to marvel at the thought as it sank into the minds of the others, "Some of my fellow elders believe this is a holy place and that this mural is some kind of prophecy. What is most striking about this is that it is written in no language I have ever seen."

Link asked the obvious question, "Why show us this? Isn't it a bad thing to show outsiders what you think is a holy place?"

All eyes swiveled to Nabooru. She regarded Link with an acute eye before speaking deliberately, "We Gerudo are only versed in a very limited range of languages. I was hoping one of you might have some clue as to what it all means."

Talon purported firmly, "So you're showing this ta us without Ganondorf knowin'?"

Nabooru curtly nodded, "I do things my own way. Although," she cogitated with a smile, "it does get me in trouble at times."

Saria had been quiet this entire time but she was the first to approach the mural; her mouth moving in unseen words as she placed a hand upon the wall. Nabooru's eyes cautiously followed the Kokiri's movements as the girl traced her hand across the mural. Link was clueless as to what was going on, he wasn't sure what Saria was seeing or understanding.

"Do you know what it says?" Nabooru inquired.

Her eyes fixed on the painting, Saria intoned in a voice that was deeper than her own yet still retained a quality of child-like innocence, "The one who stands outside of time shall claim the Triforce of Power as his own." Her hand touched the figure floating high above the plains in the sky; the most striking feature of the man was the bloodshot eyes. Saria's hand shifted over to the other figure in the sky opposing the first, "A demon of the old world shall claim the world's hope and wage war amongst the living."

Link shivered as he looked on the second figure, the only thing that was evident was the expansive set of black wings jutting from its back. The others started to notice Sora flittering about Saria's head, getting more and more agitated.

"Make her stop! Please make her stop!" Sora squeaked.

Link made a move to pull Saria out of the dream-like trance she was in but Nabooru stopped him; she wanted to hear this. Talon frowned at her but she paid him no mind.

Saria droned onward unaware of the dispute in the room, "Wyrms from the deep shall rise again to rain fire and brimstone onto the land, guided by their masters." Her hands trailed the lengths of the drawn bodies resembling serpents spewing flames onto the people below. "Two armies shall come together in a bloody tide that will shape the world for the Twili to rise again."

"The Twili?" Link had never heard the term. Nabooru merely shrugged.

With the prophecy complete, Saria collapsed to the floor in a heap. Link surged ahead to catch her fall as Sora was near hysteria at what had transpired. Nabooru stepped past them as she examined the mural once more; with this new information it started to make some sense. Talon looked down at Saria in obvious concern.

"I think I'm going ta take Saria back ta her room" Talon murmured. With a pregnant pause in which he stared at Nabooru, Talon lifted the unconscious Kokiri smoothly into his arms and carried her out of the chamber.

Nabooru and Link continued to stare at the mural. He gingerly placed a hand on the wall next to the flying man with dark wings. Almost expecting it to bite him, he was relieved to discover that nothing happened as his hands pressed against the cold wall. It was merely a painting on the chill, alabaster wall. His eyes were drawn inexorably to the man with the bloodshot eyes; he couldn't quite place where he recognized that defining feature.

Almost mesmerized by the painting, Nabooru disrupted his reverie, "This is clearly the Nevachrean army." She pointed at the army on the right, raging across the plains. "They are all similar in nature and some of them don't have arms or heads. That might allude to how they can't die." She looked over to the army on the left but was confused, "This army is made up of a variety of men, none of them the same. I do not know what country this army represents."

Link pointed to the wyrms flying through the air, "What about these?"

Nabooru placed a hand to her chin as she considered, "I don't think it's possible. I believe those may be dragons, but they all died out at the hands of the Gorons centuries ago." She gestured to the two combatants in the air, "I haven't a clue who these represent." She turned to Link, "Did you know Saria could read this script?"

Link shook his head, "I had no idea." He truly didn't. Saria had shocked them all with her perfect understanding of the mural.

Nabooru turned back to the painting, "I'm glad I know what it says, but none of it seems to be anything positive."

Link chuckled nervously, "You can say that again."

She smiled at his mirth even during this time of uncertainty. Suddenly a guard was running down the hall before barging into the room; Nabooru glared at the intrusion only to see a necklace of pure obsidian around the guard's neck. Necklaces were meant to convey immediate meanings based on the seriousness of the message. All Gerudo messengers wore a necklace pertaining to the information they were carrying, with white being the least important while red was the highest priority reserved only for threats to the very core of their society. Obsidian was just beneath red; Nabooru rushed up to the messenger.

"Lady Nabooru! A young girl is being held at the front gates by an envoy from the army." The guard reported.

Nabooru grimaced at the news, "I thought it was important, why did you come to bother me about some envoy and his petty hostage? Just fill them with arrows and send them on their way." Link smoldered at Nabooru, she simply ignored it.

The guard stammered, "The envoy says it is a Kokiri girl he wishes to deliver to us in good faith."

Link's jaw dropped, another Kokiri was still alive! He dashed out of the room before Nabooru could stop him. Both Nabooru and the messenger chased after Link as he made his way to the front gates. In their rush to meet this unknown threat, none were aware of Saria's fairy still lying on the ground; her light was dimly glowing in the waning radiance of the torch. Sora's breaths were heavy and slow as she was rooted to the floor in terror as she gazed up at the one thing no one else saw. High up in the corner of the mural just outside the range of the flickering flames was a huge circle with a grinning mouth.


	26. Chapter 25 - The Message

_The first part of this chapter can be a bit hard to read for some. Unfortunately, the sad part about this is that in some war torn countries, this type of thing is actually common place. That is sad beyond belief. Despite this, I am staying true to the reality of the situation by not shying away from these types of events. It will help bolster the characters who bear witness to them and provide a sense of inner drive for future conflicts._

- **CHAPTER 25 – The Message**

All crossbows were aimed at his heart; the man looked on indifferently at the commotion he had caused. Slumped over the pommel of his horse of darkness was a nude form unrecognizable under its tangled mess of hair. He had made no move to retreat or proceed further into their deadly range; instead he was waiting on someone who could actually make a decision. He skimmed the ramparts as he saw movement out of the corner of his eye; the young boy, Link, had surged to the edge and was looking down upon him.

Link's rage bubbled to the surface as he saw Thanan sitting arrogantly on his horse, completely at ease with the stares of a hundred killers ready to fill him with arrows. He noticed a small body drooping in front of him; one of his hands casually placed on her back to keep her steady in the saddle. Link wanted so badly to slice that hand off and prevent him from touching another Kokiri again.

Nabooru managed to catch up with him at the top and gazed over to see the object of everyone's interest. The man smiled back at her, realizing she was one with enough authority to speak for the others. Urging his horse forward several paces, several of the women uneasily shifted as they awaiting direction from Nabooru. The tension in the air was thick as the sun beat mercilessly on their heads.

"Finally, here is someone who can make a damn decision." Thanan mocked.

Nabooru stepped in front of Link, brushing him to the side as she confronted the man from on high; Link sidled over down a few guards to get a better view. "What do you want with the Gerudo? Speak fast or your life is forfeit." Nabooru commanded.

Thanan let out a laugh, "How I love threats, they sound so very hollow when spoken by someone who can't deliver."

Nabooru bristled; she was not used to being ridiculed so casually like this. She raised one hand as several archers aimed down their sights in preparation for the shot.

Thanan rolled his eyes, "Oh please, spare me the bravado. Shall I show you just how useless this all is?"

He swept his hand through the air at them. With one swift movement, he summoned a rapier into his opposing hand and sliced off his arm at the elbow. Some Gerudo gasped in shock as his forearm fell into the sand, blood spilling from the open wound onto the unfortunate body in front of him. Nabooru narrowed her eyes as he casually stabbed the arm from the ground with his rapier and roughly placed it back onto his stump. Within minutes it had fully healed without so much as a mark outside of the dried blood around the initial cut.

The rapier vanished into a black mist as he spread his arms out wide with a flourish, "You see? It is useless to kill me; for I cannot die. So shall we get to business?" Thanan leered at Nabooru.

At a signal from Nabooru, all sentries lowered their crossbows. "What is it you want with us?" She demanded; her voice laced with venom.

"I've come to offer a truce between our peoples. I see that you are well supplied, armed and defended. We do not wish to fight you if we do not have to." Nabooru scoffed, but Thanan pressed on, "If we can come to an agreement, we can live side by side in prosperity. As a good will token, we are returning one of the few Kokiri left alive. We do not wish to see any one race wiped from this good, green earth." His voice was silky poison.

Nabooru took one look at the tattered corpse he called a Kokiri and vilely laughed, "That's rich! How can we expect you will treat us any different than that pitiful thing you have there? How do we know we can trust you?"

Thanan leaned over, resting his arms across the poor Kokiri's head before remarking, "You don't. But I assure you that if you do not agree to the truce, you will end up like this pathetic piece of flesh."

Nabooru's resolve stood firm, "No deal. Leave now or suffer consequences."

Thanan sniggered, "Have it your way, my lady." Emphasizing his last words to her, he grabbed the body in front by the hair; with a heave he threw it towards the closed gates. It hit the ground rolling before coming to a rest with arms and legs splayed at awkward angles. Some of the women were disgusted at his treatment of what appeared to be a little girl.

Thanan mockingly bowed in the saddle, "Consider this a gesture of good faith from me. Until the next time we meet, fare thee well!" With a smirk he wheeled the horse around before galloping down the path and leaping over the gorge.

Link surged down the brick steps and started banging on the barricaded doors demanding they be open. No one would listen to him and simply ignored his pleas for assistance; his hands started to ache from hitting the doors so hard. Nabooru calmly descended the steps and presently stood a pace away from Link; looking at his abject misery at not being able to reach his Kokiri friend.

"You need to learn the ways of our people and fast Link." Nabooru intoned, "We simply just don't open our doors for any visitor that comes to call. First we secure the area and make sure that man is gone and then make sure that what he left us isn't a trap."

Although Nabooru's comments made perfect sense, it didn't help rationalize the situation at hand; one of his friends was out there and possibly needed immediate medical attention! Link slammed his back into the door in frustration as he slid down to the sand; sitting there with his knees up to his chest, he started crying. Nabooru merely looked on allowing him to release his grief; it would do no good to coddle it or ease it away.

Zelda walked up to Link and knelt down beside him holding his hand close to her heart; word had gotten around the fortress of the encounter at the gates. Link looked up at her and noticed her attire had changed; the Gerudo had make-shifted some clothes for a young boy. She wore loose ivory leggings that billowed out with the breeze; a plain leather belt separated the leggings from her white shirt which sported a huge v-neck down to her navel.

Link colored furiously at the amount of skin she was exposing; she seemed to notice his reaction and leaned in close to whisper, "They still think I'm a boy, this is what they chose for me to wear."

Link nodded numbly, "I know Zel…Zander." Zelda smiled at him calling her by the new name, "Just not used to you wearing those types of clothes."

She looked down on herself briefly, "To be honest, I'm not overly comfortable with it either, but Impa has a reason to deceive them. So let's keep up the lie shall we?"

Nabooru regarded the two boys from a distance as they sat together whispering; something was obviously going on between those two, she just couldn't figure out what. Several minutes went by when a scout leapt down from above and relayed a message to Nabooru. With a gesture of her hands, the two guards began opening the gates. She quickly shooed Link and Zelda off to the side and assigned a woman to be by their side to ensure they didn't escape.

Link tried to avert his eyes as best he could, but he could do nothing to quell his boiling anger at the sight before him. The Gerudo woman had returned from retrieving the body; she wasn't holding a Kokiri but a pitiful husk of flesh. The girl had no energy left to move; barely enough strength for even a little modesty. A small grimy rag was tied scantly around her waist for she lacked any other form of clothing; even that barely covered anything at all.

There were bruises, cuts and swollen blood pores spread all across her body; she had been badly tortured. What infuriated Link more was the sickening trails of blood that stained her inner thighs and covered her womanhood. From what he could tell, she had been cut up and her very dignity had been mutilated beyond recognition. Link turned away to wretch, it was too much.

Zelda gasped at the sight and turned to lean on Link as she sobbed bitterly. This was not the Kokiri girl they were expecting; it was a mere piece of meat. Cut up, eaten and spit out for the dogs to scavenge. Forcing herself to look again at the poor girl only intensified the waves of nausea that was creeping into her stomach. It was beyond anything she had even heard of, beyond any torture imaginable.

Nabooru was stunned into traumatized silence at the gruesome sight that was before her. The Gerudo women expressed sympathy and rage in their eyes, for they know how great one's womanhood is and to have that mutilated is of the utmost disgrace to the Gerudo. As they turned the poor girl into a more fitting position in the guard's arms, they noticed some writing carved into her back; the vile pigs felt it sensible to tell them her name in blood, Kiera.

Nabooru barked, "Who would do this abomination to this poor girl?! This is an outrage! No man or woman who did this should come away unscathed!"

Link cleaned the remainder of the bile from his mouth before standing back up to his full height on shaky legs, nausea still tempting to claim hold of him. "I think I know who did it." Link offered.

Nabooru's gaze swept down on Link like a hawk attacking its prey; She pounded up to him with wrath in her eyes as if she didn't recognize him; so clouded was her emotions.

Link winced under that scrutiny but continued, "General Naar, the leader of the Nevachrean armies. I believe he is the one who could have done this."

Nabooru fumed, "Then by my honor, I shall avenge this poor girl. When I am through with Naar, he'll be begging me to cut it off! That filthy cur!"

Zelda composed herself and tried very hard not to glance in the direction of the poor Kokiri husk, "I think this is a message."

With seething anger in her voice at having things explained to her by a boy, Nabooru snapped, "What?!"

Link filled in for Zelda as it seemed she was about to be attacked, "If you knew how big this army was," Nabooru's head swiveled to Link, "then it is reasonable to assume all prisoners are kept near the center of it. There is no way she could have escaped on her own without some help. I was also a prisoner of that awful camp, they simply wouldn't let any of them go without just cause. They would like to use them then lose them. I believe Naar did this on purpose to send us a message."

Nabooru grilled Link angrily, "And what message would that be?"

Link merely shrugged. After a few seconds of silence, they all were startled when a deep voice bellowed out behind them.

"What is going on here? Close the gates now you idiots! Why are we all standing around here giving anyone a chance to slip in here unnoticed?" Ganondorf roared.

Within seconds the guards were manipulating the mechanisms that swung the gates closed. Ganondorf strode up to the group as they looked on uncertainly at what he would do next. His piercing gaze swept past Nabooru and Zelda, held briefly on Link before turning to the object of everyone's concern. Ganondorf looked visibly shaken as he scrutinized the lifeless body in the woman's arms; never had he seen such brutality, he would never consider doing this to any of his people. Steeling his eyes he stepped forward to the woman and gestured to transfer the body into his arms.

"Who did this?" He demanded. Link marveled at how gentle he was being with the Kokiri; he had no idea that Ganondorf actually had compassion!

Nabooru stepped forward, "My lord, it has been reported that General Naar of the Nevachrean army has done this."

Ganondorf was about to speak when a small movement guided his attention to the pitiable creature in his arms; the girl was still breathing! Eyes darting to the nearest guard, "You, get all of our healers and gather them together. Go! Quickly!"

Ganondorf looked up at the parapets before shouting, "Everyone take up battle positions around the fort and have a perimeter of 2 miles on all sides. No one goes in or out!" He swung his chin in Nabooru's direction, "Take two of your best swordswomen and take all the apprentices to the upper archery range, they need the practice. Train them daily from now on!"

He finally looked over at Apolloni who had just walked up beside him beaming at his commanding form, "Go grab that excuse for a man that we brought and see if the coot has come up with the weapon we asked for. If he needs anything for his experiments, make sure he gets his hands on it! If this weapon is as good as he says, I do not want it falling into the hands of the enemy."

The Gerudo scattered in all directions to carry out his orders. Ganondorf took one last look at Link and Zelda before turned back to the fortress with the Kokiri in his arms. They were left alone as the rest of the fortress was abuzz with activity. Unsure of how much a hindrance they would be to salvaging the poor girl, they walked off in silence. At length they wandered over to the stables at the far end of the compound; the sun was starting to set as they walked into the musky building. Several horses neighed at their entrance but it was not them they had come to see.

As they rounded one of the stalls, a cheerful whinny directed their attention to Epona; she had spotted Link and was overjoyed at seeming him once again! Next to her was Malon, calmly brushing her fur with an oak brush. She turned to the visitors and smiled at the two of them.

"Hey, you two." She emitted warmly.

"Did you hear what happened?" Link asked.

Malon merely nodded. How could one not hear about the intruder at the front gates bringing along a Kokiri prisoner? She simply chose not to go with the others; it would serve no point in seeing something like that. Malon kind of knew what to expect based on what had almost happened to her at that horrid camp and she was not willing to see the end result of it; far better to stay here in the solace of the animals around her.

Realizing she wasn't going to fully answer, he changed the subject, "Whatever happened to your horse you were going to raise?"

"You mean Harden?" She brightened, "He is over in the next stall! You want to see him?"

Link nodded. Excited she dumped the brush in Zelda's hand as Epona nickered irritated that her grooming had stopped. Malon paid her no mind as she grabbed Link's hand and began to lead him out of the stall.

"Excuse me?" Zelda broached.

"Hmm?" Malon turned around quizzically, clearly not seeing a problem.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Zelda asked, quite annoyed.

Malon had forgotten her manners! Of course Zelda never worked on a ranch, she wouldn't know what to do with that. "Okay, you see, your hand goes through this loop and-"

Zelda jerked her hand back from Malon's, "I know what it is and what to do with it! I'm just wondering why I'm stuck here with the horse. What if I wanted to see Harden too?"

Link remembered the conversation he had with Zelda at the castle almost a week ago; it seemed like ages to him. He could see the altercation turning south quick, he quickly butted in, "Um…maybe we can come back another time to see him, right?"

Malon looked slightly unnerved but recovered, "No, its okay. Let's all go to see Harden."

She grabbed the brush from Zelda and tossed it aside onto the hay as she led them both to the next stall. Epona whickered at the sight of her owner leaving her without so much as a hug, but she dared not get up due to the splints on her legs. As the three walked over, Link noticed the plain, white dress Malon was wearing as she led them; so they had redressed her too. The only one not fully dressed as a Gerudo yet was him! Lying down sleeping soundly was Harden; they quietly came up to him and sat next to him. He woke with a start as they placed several hands on him; he calmly fell back asleep as they began stroking his luxurious fur.

After a few moments Link stated, "I still think it's a stupid name."

Malon shoved him roughly as he fell backwards giggling, "You stop that! It is a perfectly fine name!"

Zelda chimed in trying to be a part of the conversation, "I agree with Malon, it is probably better than anything you could come up with."

Malon glanced at Zelda in surprise before smiling, "I like her already!" She turned back to Link, "That's right! I doubt you could come up with anything better!"

Link sat back up with a stupid grin on his face, "How about Appa?"

Both girls scrunched their noses at his awful suggestion, "Get real Link!" Malon laughed.

"What?" Link shrugged with his hands up, "I can make perfectly fine name suggestions! I named Epona didn't I?"

"Nuh-uh, fairy boy!" Zelda looked a little hurt at Malon calling him that special name, "If you remember, I had named her that long before you claimed her as yours!"

It was like watching two best friends fight, but not really mean it; she looked back and forth at the banter between the two of them. Zelda couldn't compete with the history these two shared, she felt like a third wheel to the trio. She desperately wanted to be a firm part of Link's life but things always got so awkward with Malon around. Why did she have to be friends with him?

It was unclear how long they had talked but the last rays of sun were filtering into the stall as Impa quietly emerged from the shadows, practically scaring Malon half to death. "Does she do this often?" Malon exclaimed after she caught her breath.

It was Zelda's turn to laugh, "I'm afraid so."

Impa was not laughing, she had come to bring a message to the group; they all grew quiet as she spoke, "The doctors could do nothing for the Kokiri girl. She is dead."

Zelda gasped as she placed a hand to her lips; Link's eyes began to well with tears as Malon took solace in rubbing Harden. Was Saria really the last Kokiri remaining in the world? How would their race ever come back from this devastating blow? All three of them were lost in their thoughts at the gravity of Kiera's death. The girl Link had known growing up but whom the other two barely even knew.

Impa gentle placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder, "It is time you retire to your room Zelda."

Zelda torpidly dipped her head in concession at Impa's advice; she stood up and turned to Link with a hopeful tone in her voice, "Are you coming Link?"

He moodily declined, "No thanks." He picked himself up and walked over to Epona's stall. "I think I'm going to sleep out here with my horse."

Malon chimed in, "I think I'm going to stay out here and sleep next to Harden tonight too."

Impa cleared her throat, "No Malon. You are coming with me back to your father."

Malon stomped her foot as she crossed her arms, "What, Link can stay out here and I can't?"

"That's correct." Impa confirmed coolly.

Impa motioned for her to follow; Malon stormed off after them pouting as the three made their way back to the fortress compound. Link was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't have someone to talk to tonight but figured it was for the best. He stretched out beside Epona and leaned back against her belly. She reached around and nipped at his hair lovingly as he stroked her neck.

"At least I have you to keep me company, huh girl?" Link said as he scratched the underside of Epona's chin; she neighed in pleasure.

After a few minutes of bonding they settled down to sleep. Link shifted to get more comfortable against Epona's side before draping a nearby horse cover over him like a blanket. Within minutes he could sense a low rumble behind him; he grinned knowing she had fallen asleep already. He was left alone to his thoughts. It was several hours before he finally shut his eyes and slept.


	27. Chapter 26 - Visitors in the Night

- **CHAPTER 26 – Visitors in the Night**

It had been a long, tireless evening. The healer flopped onto the nearby chair as she rested her head on the slab that had acted as the operating table. They all had worked briskly on the poor Kokiri girl trying to save her life. It seemed the more they repaired the wounds more would simply expose themselves and start leaking blood and pus. Many of the healers had despaired several times during the whole process; a few couldn't even finish, so repulsed they were at what had been brutally done to the girl.

It was just starting to get dark outside when the poor Kokiri breathed her last, it was almost heartbreaking. She sluggishly turned her head over to one of her caretakers before sweetly smiling; that woman could do nothing but cry as the dying girl comforted her saying 'it would be okay.' With one last shudder, the Kokiri had exhaled and then lay still. It shook the healers to the core at what had transpired in front of them.

In time, all the healers flowed out to their respective quarters for the night; leaving the one woman the little girl had talked to crying by her side. Slowly drifting off into slumber, she was awoken by a slight sucking sound; as if someone was inhaling with water in their mouths. The Gerudo looked around for the source of the sound before identifying it coming from the dead Kokiri corpse in front of her.

The healer's eyes popped open as she discerned various blood pores gone from the nude body; the girl's skin was slowly healing itself at an unnatural rate! A tart odor immediately filled the air as some squishing was heard; the woman stood quickly as the chair was knocked to the floor in her haste. What in Din was going on here? She noticed some black fluid seeping from the girl's womanhood; intrigued, she went to have a closer look.

**-Break-**

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" The melodious voice crooned.

Link jerked awake at the sound as he scanned the stables for its source; fumbling with the horse cover draped over him, Link tried to sit up proper as he strained to see in the dark recesses of the room with only the candlelight to go by. A rustle to his right riveted his attention where he saw a youthful man sitting on a nearby stool examining a mask; Link yelped before flipping over trying to gain distance between them. Epona was strangely quiet if not still sleeping.

Involuntarily reaching behind his back for a sword that wasn't there; Link was up on one knee ready to spring on the intruder. Breathing heavily he interrogated the man, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Without bothering to look up from the mask, the man replied in a sing-song voice, "The first is irrelevant, the second is a bit harder to answer."

Wary of the unknown visitor, Link stayed where he was. "Answer what you can." Link insisted.

"What I want…" The man began slowly, "is to restore balance."

Link cocked his head at this unexpected answer, "I'm sorry?"

The man tilted his head to look over in Link's direction, it was so subtle that he barely noticed the movement until the man's gaze was on him; Link shivered unwillingly. The man smiled at Link before humming, "Mmmm…yes, I believe the balance you severed; quite fascinating how you were able to do such a thing."

Link was at a loss for words at the accusations this man was pitching at him. "I…don't understand."

Carefully fondling the mask cradled in his arms, whether out of habit or a nervous tic, Link was not sure which. "Because of you, I am required to set in motion pieces that must do their role for the greater good. You are that first piece Link." The man stated with sincere firmness.

"What are you going to do to me?" Link asked suspiciously, he still wasn't sure who this man was or what he wanted; all he knew was that he had a familiar look about him.

The man looked back at the mask, "To you? Nothing. I am, however, going to give you something."

With this innocent gesture of holding out the mask, the flood of memories burst forth from the dam in Link's head; the mask staring him down was unlike anything of this world. Fractured images flashed behind his eyes of a doomed world, people dying, souls that needed healing, and above all a grand apocalypse from the sky. The horned mask with the bloodshot eyes burned holes in Link's retina; it was hideous to gape at but he couldn't force himself to look away.

"Go on, it is yours to protect." The man urged the mask forward insisting Link accept it.

The man's voice hurled Link out of his spiraling dread as he looked up at the man, finally recognizing him for who he was, "You! I remember you now!"

"Do you now?" The man questioned, the smile smeared across his face unchanging.

Link's eyes flicked down to the mask briefly before looking back at the man, "I don't want that. It is dangerous and I know what it can do."

A trifling crease appeared on the man's brow but did little to diminish his seemingly cheerful demeanor, "I'm afraid that is not an option you have Link. You will take it and you will keep it safe."

"Wasn't the evil inside it destroyed?" Link said bewildered at how the mask could still be filled with malice.

"Was it?" The man stated vacuously.

Link shied away from the mask as it was held out further his direction, "Why can't you keep it? What makes you think I'd be able to keep it safe?"

The man turned away as if deep in thought, "I recall that I was robbed once of this precious mask. I do not wish for that to happen again. Because of who you are, where you are and where you must go, the mask is safest in your possession at this moment in time."

With much trepidation, Link asked the question he was dreading the answer to, "Am I supposed to wear this mask?"

The man laughed heartily, "Ho, ho, ho! I do not believe that would work out well for you. No, the true bearer of this mask has yet to be revealed. I believe you will be the one to find its rightful owner."

"Then what do I do with it?" Link asked.

"Who knows?" The man shrugged, his smile widened, "I trust your judgment when that time comes. Now take it."

Link edged closer to the creepy man and tentatively stretched out a hand; he couldn't quite force himself to fully grasp the mask, so the man finished the job for him and shoved it onto Link's outstretched arm. Instantly the whispers from the mask inundated Link's mind; the eyes seemed to glow as they tried to suck him into a decision there would be no escape from.

"It will only take a moment…place it on…there is no harm in that." The mask soothed.

Link felt himself slipping forward towards the mask when the man brought him back to his senses, "I'd watch out for its lies if I were you. Keep it hidden, keep it safe. Always travel with it; only then can opportunity present itself." He chortled softly to himself.

Link trembled as he set the mask down, eager to be free of the murmurs in his ears. "So no one is to know I have this mask?" Link queried, feeling a bit better after having released the mask from his grip.

The man nodded in agreement, "That is correct." He lifted a finger, "There are also several other points I must impress upon you before I see myself off."

Link feared what more would be asked of him by this strange man, "Is it more masks?"

The man shook his head, the smile never changing, "When you come of age Link, you must leave here and head southeast to Nevachrea; what you will find there will be of grave importance to this world."

Link sighed, "Why can't you just tell me outright what I'm looking for?"

"Ho, ho, ho! My dear Link, I merely tell you what you need, not what you want. Learn the difference." The man promptly corrected.

"So is that it?" Link exhaled, wanting this cryptic conversation to be over.

A small shake of the head sagged Link's hopes, "I'm afraid not. You must further convince two mortal enemies to make peace or you may never overcome the impending doom that will befall Hyrule."

"You mean it hasn't already?" Link said exasperated.

The man simply kept his grin; with a grunt he heaved himself off the stool. He leaned over to pick up his satchel of masks and slung it over his shoulder. He turned to Link before departing, "I am placing a lot of trust in you to help restore the balance; I pray that my faith is not misplaced. Shall I deliver the mask to your room for later?"

"What?" Link was perplexed at what the man meant.

Just then a high-pitched scream rent the air, jolting him out of his nightmare. He quickly looked over to where he had laid the mask down but it was no longer there. Link breathed a sigh of relief; it was all just a dream. Another scream followed the first galvanizing him to action; he flung off the horse cover and bolted out of the stables.

**-Break-**

Her eyes opened for no apparent reason, but her dream was horrifying. She couldn't get the pictures and the dissonance of sound out of her mind. It was boring a hole of insanity that she could not escape from; beating wings; the flapping of wings. What did it mean? The malevolent grin loomed into view, always taunting her. The wings beating louder and louder until she thought her ears would burst. The figure turned and revealed a face she did not want to see; it rushed towards her with the intent to kill. She woke up.

Saria lay on her bed a few minutes waiting for her breathing to slow down; her forehead was perspiring with sweat. She rolled out of her stone bed and hopped the short distance to the ground. She poked at her clothes on her left breast, "Sora? You awake? Come out!" She checked.

Nothing. She thought that was strange. Ever since their reunion, Sora had never been too far away from her. Sora was always there when she needed her; a dear and loyal friend to confide in. The fact she was nowhere nearby was a bit disconcerting. Her heart thrummed its strings trying to locate her; Sora wasn't too far away but the response was weak. She was a little despondent about the whole matter but decided not to press the issue. If Sora wanted some space to herself this evening, that was her business; it was just odd that she was gone at all.

Suddenly remembering the talk she had with Talon earlier, she carefully sneaked out of her room; unsure if the Gerudo had orders to keep her there for 'rest.' She stifled a laugh at how easy it was to get by the guards with her small form. All Kokiri had the innate ability to make themselves invisible; or rather force a way of perception. They had the talent to appear quite uninteresting to anyone who wasn't looking closely at them. So those who were gazing in their direction wouldn't see anything of interest and would not be able to distinguish them from the background. It required some mental effort on the Kokiri to maintain the ruse however; mass distraction would ruin the effect.

Recalling the path she traveled with Talon earlier that day just before she visited Link, she navigated the multi-level fortress to where she thought Talon's room was. Sure enough, rounding the corner, she spotted Talon just outside his chamber apparently waiting for someone. She quickly ducked into a doorway as he glanced in her direction; doing her best to appear dull as she peaked out to listen in on what could be unfolding.

It seemed like hours Talon stood waiting there; Malon was obviously asleep. Saria had to stretch numerous times to get the kinks out of her body from standing so long. Finally footfalls were heard echoing out of the corridor opposite Talon; he rose up from his reclining position against the wall to face the visitor. As expected, Nabooru came out of the darkness into the torchlight and stood a pace away from him. An unrecognizable look was on his face; it was almost apathetic.

Nabooru spoke first in silky tones, "When I first saw you, I had almost thought you had come wanting another child."

She laughed while Talon merely grumbled, "I will admit, I am grateful fer ya assisting us in escaping. I did not want her ta be raised by the Gerudo. She is my daughter and I want her ta be raised in my-"

Nabooru raised a hand to silence him, "I understood then as I understand now. It is hard to let a loved one go, especially your own child. You must understand. I've had over six children already, so I really can't feel that much of an attachment to any of them; even more so when they are living here with me in the fortress and I can go see them whenever I please."

"Do ya use them like ya use the other apprentices?" Talon spat with disgust.

Nabooru had to suppress a laugh, "For Din's sake no, we all are aware of each other's children; we split the wealth of the young between other Gerudo. It is our way; it is what we've always done. The children are community property of everyone but our own. We must be willing to give up our offspring for the sake of the rest."

"Sounds like a messed up society ta me." Talon griped; arms still folded tight across his chest.

Nabooru looked away briefly before confirming his assertion, "I agree that not all aspects of our culture are ideal; but we must survive somehow. It is not easy living in a society that can only give birth to a single boy every few hundred years. Even then, that king who is borne to us may not always lead our people in the right direction." She bowed her head as she thought of all the practices Ganondorf instated since becoming king of the Gerudo.

Talon looked slightly guilty after hearing her confession, "It's been tough on us at the ranch. I had ta always hide ta Malon the true origins of her mother. I was 'fraid that if she knew her heritage that she'd want ta leave me and come here ta be a Gerudo. I…I didn't want ta lose her. So I lied ta her saying ya had died in childbirth."

She smiled fondly at Talon and placed a caressing hand to his cheek, he did not resist. "Poor man, I did not mean to have your life stolen from you for over a year. I did not mean to bring hardship in your life."

He looked into her eyes with the start of tears, "It is not ya fault, it is the other women who captured me and abused me. Ya were the only one who listened ta me."

Her eyes creased in love for the man standing in front of her, baring his heart, "We've grown soft as a people. Back then we would have killed intruders on the spot; now we only take them prisoner, induct them into Gerudo society or use them as breeding stock if they are male. You realize that if it weren't for my interference that one night, you probably would have been killed."

Talon brushed her comment aside, "I'm sorry fer being rude earlier. I'm happy ya did what ya did. If it weren't fer ya, I wouldn't have my beautiful daughter Malon. I wouldn't trade her fer the world."

Saria held back her shock as Nabooru and Talon embraced with a passionate kiss; memories of their long nights years ago coming back in waves. Their arms feeling familiar bodies that were intertwined so long ago; heir internal lust reawakened within the two of them. Talon realized what could happen and forced himself to push away. Nabooru looked slightly hurt.

"You do not like me anymore?" She asked confused.

Talon sighed, "No. It's not that. I just don't think we should be having another child during such grave times."

Still holding him in her arms, she nodded in agreement. "You know we Gerudo drink a special herbal tea so that doesn't happen." She playfully smiled at him, hoping to entice him once again.

Talon's eyes bulged slightly, "That's possible?" Nabooru grinned wickedly.

"We Gerudo decide when to have a child." They parted as another thought crossed her mind. "Talon? Can I see my daughter? I mean…_our_ daughter?"

With a warm smile he gently pressed the door inward and showed her in. Talon left the door slightly ajar guessing Saria was nearby; not missing the brazen opportunity, she hustled to the door and peeked through the open crack practically giddy at watching something secret.

Nabooru slowly stepped up to the bed where her little girl was sleeping soundly. Her brilliant, red hair splayed out across her pillow; shimmering even in the dim candle light. Nabooru knelt on one knee and put her hand over Malon's small arm. Silently she watched her daughter's chest rise and fall with controlled breathing. Nabooru smiled as she felt a trickle dance across her cheek. The daughter she gave up to Talon was back home with her; she didn't know why this child of hers was special. Why was this girl more unique than all the others she birthed? Why was she effected so?

After a time she rose up and whispered into his ear, "I've made arrangements with the elders to have you as my personal manservant if you so desire." She backed away as he stared at her dumbfounded.

"What does that mean?" Talon probed.

Hands behind her back, teetering like a young school girl, she explained thickly, "It means only I can have you. You will not have to put up with anyone but me."

Saria strained to hear the rest of the conversation as they whispered heatedly with each other for a few minutes. Talon turned around with a start and grabbed a few of his effects off his bed alcove before being led out by the hand by a very excited Nabooru. Saria shot backward as they flew out of the room. Talon stopped briefly and quickly glanced down the hallway behind; he thought he saw a glimmer of green in the darkened corridor. With a smile and a curt hand gesture, it was quite clear she was not supposed to follow them.

So that was it? Saria wondered. Nabooru and Talon were once lovers and Malon is their child? Did Malon know? She wondered what they were going to do next; she wavered on the edge of deciding to shadow them. With one final puff of breath, blowing the bangs out of her eyes, she decided it best to go looking for Sora instead. She had been gone an awful long time and she was starting to get worried.

Saria wandered the halls for several minutes trying to remember the multitude of turns they had taken earlier that day; the last place she remembered being with Sora was at that strange wall mural. After a time, she became aware of a slight pitter patter of bare feet. She stopped to look around the empty corridors for the source but found nothing; the sound had stopped. Slightly unnerved, she continued on through the dim passage; lit only by the occasional torch. Where were all the guards?

The tapping of feet intensified just behind her; Saria swerved around only to see nothing but an empty corridor. The padding of feet had stopped. Saria had not known much about fear living in the Lost Woods all her life; she was quite uncomfortable with the foreign emotion welling up in the pit of her stomach. Ignoring the growing knot in her belly, she cautiously paced down the corridor.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Saria's voice trembled.

A scrabbling of nails above her head made her shriek in terror as a brush of wind blew the flames from the torches ahead of her. Something had climbed the walls and was scuttling along the ceiling; Saria didn't know how she knew this just that it became fact. She gawked at the ceiling only to see bare brick. Another skittering of sound behind her made her scream.

Saria started running down the passages without a care of where she was going. Her heart was crying out desperately for Sora to come; she felt a meek response initially but it slowly grew stronger as she ran. She stopped at a T-bone junction of halls and ducked behind the corner of the wall; she pressed her back up against the cold stone, breath coming in ragged gasps. She was terrified and she didn't know why! Where was everyone? Crystalline tears formed in her eyes as panic set in.

It was then she noticed the female body lying on the ground at her feet; it was a Gerudo guard lying face up, her glazed eyes turned to the ceiling looking at nothing. Saria had to smother a swell of nausea when she discerned that the woman's stomach had been disemboweled; it seemed something had been feasting on the organs. Saria turned away in revulsion as she knew whatever killed this woman was tracking her down.

A flicker of torchlight at the junction signaled the entity's arrival; Saria was paralyzed with fear, she couldn't move from the wall. A scratch from the hallway she had left jolted her from inaction. She leaped out facing back down the darkened hallway trying her best to sound menacing, "Don't c…come any c…closer! I c…can fight!" The threat came out hollow and she knew it.

Saria stood in the center of the passage breathing heavily; it was deathly quiet. After a few moments of indecision, she turned around to leave this awful area. She stopped suddenly, there in front of her with gore stained hands and blood staining her mouth and chin was Kiera. Her beady eyes penetrated Saria. Kiera tilted her head at an awkward angle; as if considering what to do with her. Saria opened her mouth to scream.


	28. Chapter 27 - Shutting Out the World

_Thank you all for reading this far! I appreciate all your comments and support! Starting beyond this chapter, huge changes will occur and many new things will be introduced in the story. This chapter ends one 'part' of the saga and opens up the door to the next. I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far and would love it if you were to stick it through until the very end! I know it seems terrible now, but sometimes it is darkest just before the dawn! Remember hope is not lost! Enjoy the chapter everyone!_

- **CHAPTER 27 – Shutting Out the World**

Blood-curdling screams echoed throughout the night as it reverberated down the multitude of corridors littering the fortress. Link sprinted through the hallways closing in on the source of the shrieking; the closer he got the more it sounded like Saria's voice! Anxiety rising in his chest, he skidded around a corner as he nearly bumped into a contingent of Gerudo guards, also enroute to the calamitous racket.

The shrill screaming intensified as Link came upon the awful scene; bile churned in his stomach as he saw his friend, Saria, being eaten alive. The Gerudo guards stopped short as they beheld the grotesque spectacle. The Kokiri girl they had all thought died was fully healed and whole but was covered in blood and gore. She was greedily raking her nails into Saria and yanking out entrails before greedily chomping them down.

Link's vision went red; surprising a nearby guard, he snagged one of their spears from them and charged forward intent to impale the abomination of a Kokiri onto it. Kiera looked up too late as Link ran her through with the spike. A look of disbelief spread across the girl's face before she slumped over onto the shaft. Link let the end drop with the weight of the body but maintained control of it as his fury subsided. He dared not look at his friend who seemed to be still alive but in shock of what was happening.

A sickly intake of breath engaged his attention back onto Kiera just as the rest of the guards caught up with him; they were surrounded on both sides by Gerudo, all unaware of the danger they were now in. "Oh no…" Link cried.

Kiera's head flipped up as she took hold of the shaft, holding the stare as she slowly dragged herself closer to Link with each squelchy pull. "You…left…me!" She rasped each word on the intake of each breath.

This wasn't happening! How did Naar turn the girl into one of them?! He promptly dropped the spear and let it hit the floor stunning Kiera briefly. With effort, she stood up with the wooden shaft clearly through her body and snapped the front end before flinging it aside. Kiera leapt through the air and tackled Link to the ground, her claws raking his skin drawing blood as her teeth gnashed at his face; it was all he could do to force her chest with his arms away from him.

"Help!" Link yelled.

The Gerudo roused to action as they surged in at once trying to separate the two children; instantly Kiera flipped around to one of her assailants and bounded into her arms. Rapidly wrapping her arms and legs around the poor woman; the Kokiri bit deeply into her neck before tearing off a chunk of flesh with her teeth. The woman screeched as she collapsed to the floor under the weight of the diminutive girl.

Surging off the falling body, Kiera hurled herself into another Gerudo biting her nose as the woman yelled in pain; blood started spurting everywhere as Kiera wound her way through each woman inflicting grievous wounds on everyone. She flipped in midair as a scimitar sliced just inches under her feet. She hit the ground lightly before she started clambering up the wall. Impossibly skittering along the wall like a demonic spider she bypassed several Gerudo and went straight for Link.

Link yelped as he saw the nude figure of Kiera soaring straight at him; her claws bared, her bloody mouth gaping in a furious scream. Her cry was throttled as her body was cleaved in two; both halves fell to the floor with a sickening squash. Link looked over in appreciation at the woman who had saved him; she was breathing heavy, resting on one knee as she nursed the patch of skin on her arm that had been violently torn off.

"You…left…me!" Kiera gurgled as blood frothed at her mouth.

Link fell backwards onto his rump as he scrambled to get away from the profane Kokiri. She was slowly dragging herself to him on her arms as the legs squirmed towards their master in anticipation of being rejoined once more. Freaking out as she seized one of his feet he slammed his other boot into her face; a crack was heard as he broke the nose. Blood started to stream out of her nostrils but it did little to stop the inevitable truth; he was going to be eaten alive too.

"Help! Help! Help!" Link started screaming with every kick to Kiera's face; it was becoming quite unrecognizable now. The lower body had already settled back onto the torso and was slowly crushing itself together. With one final kick he knocked her hard enough to release his foot. He fumbled on all fours trying to flee from this nightmare; but Kiera was insanely swift. She heaved herself onto his leg and sunk her teeth into his calf; the pain was agonizing as he felt the teeth burrow deeper into his skin. Kiera moaned at her victory as she prepared to rip off the delicious meat in her mouth.

"Get your head down boy!" A resounding voice echoed through the hallway, without a second thought Link lay as flat as he could onto the cold stone. Kiera halted her immediate meal to glance up at the new intruder; Ganondorf stood firm in the center of the corridor calmly aiming an arrow at her face.

Kiera roared in fury as she bounded off the floor at Ganondorf intent to kill; the arrow sailed through the air and buried itself between her eyes. Looking cross-eyed at the arrow penetrating her skull for a moment, the effect was almost immediate. Ganondorf quickly grabbed Link roughly by the arm and dragged him further down the hall as he commanded any remaining Gerudo who could move to do the same. The Kokiri's body started expanding in bulbous boils until she had begun to fill the entire corridor with her disgusting mass. One final scream erupted in the hall before she exploded in a hail of ashes and blood.

Link lay there stunned at what had happened; giving him little time to ponder, Ganondorf brought him to his feet. "Humph," he scoffed, "The only way to truly kill these creatures is to make sure not a single scrap of them is left. Doesn't matter how they are killed just that not one piece is left whole."

"Ho, ho, ho! That old man's weapon isn't a failure like we thought." Kotake cackled as she emerged from the shadows behind Ganondorf; scaring Link in the process.

"He, he, he! Right you are sister. I believe this shall come in handy for our forces!" Koume agreed.

Link didn't have time to understand the whole explanation, Kiera was dead and Saria was injured. He limped down the passage to where she lay. His eyes creased with dread as he looked upon her fading form; her innards had been violently ripped from her bowels and some were mangled beyond repair. He crumpled to the ground beside his friend as the tears flowed unabated down his face.

Saria's head meekly turned to Link as a smile glossed over her features; it was apparent she couldn't feel any pain anymore. "It's okay Link, it doesn't hurt. I actually feel fine." She assured him.

Link wept bitterly, "You are not fine Saria…you're dying."

Saria looked away as if distracted, "Sora is almost here. I can feel her coming; don't worry Link. It'll be all right." Her voice was so innocent, so childlike; he almost wanted to believe it himself.

A flicker of light heralded the entrance of Sora who raced to her companion's side. She looked upon her dying soul mate with utmost love; this was beyond anyone's ability to heal. Link wasn't aware of how calm Sora was in the midst of the events that had occurred. Sora touched down gently on Saria's chest as she hugged her face in her little arms. Saria warmed to the touch but did little else to acknowledge her fairy's embrace. Sora serenely rose from the dying body of Saria and fluttered over to Link.

"Link, the great Deku Tree long ago gave all of us fairies a special gift before we were bonded with the Kokiri who was to be our eternal companion." The sprite explained.

Link stared numbly at the fairy, clearly not understanding, "I…don't…what?"

Sora smiled forlornly, "We may not always have seen eye to eye Link, but remember me for the good times? Okay?"

With a quick peck on his cheek, she left the bewildered Link to his thoughts as she turned to focus on Saria. Ganondorf and the others stepped up behind him to look on as the remainder of the Gerudo picked up their wounded and trailed off towards the medic ward. The little sprite was busy at work utilizing unseen forces to propel Saria's organs back into her body; the strain was evident on her little face as she struggled to maintain her concentration.

With one last look at Link, Sora mouthed a soft goodbye as she spread out across Saria's chest directly over her heart. The glow of the fairy intensified as a slight buzzing was heard; static electricity surged through the air as Link's hair began to stand on end. The witches gasped in shock at what they thought was impossible. The expanding luminescence enveloped Saria entirely and they all had to look away from the blinding light.

The corridor dimmed again as Link beheld Saria fully healed with only a soft glow pulsating within her by the heart. Sora was gone. In time even the glow faded leaving nothing but flickering torchlight. Ganondorf was intrigued at the interesting turn of events and waited to see how it would play out; the witches hissed at each other in whispers of explanations on how this was conceivable.

Saria awoke as if from a deep, restful slumber; unaware of what had happened around her, she gazed around at the four of them before settling her eyes on Link. They both shared a smile as they took solace in the fact they were together again. With a dawning realization, she looked around at the bloody mess and random viscera littering the hallway; her eyes began to grow as the memory of the awful event began to seep back into consciousness.

"What happened?" Saria asked tentatively.

Ganondorf intervened before Link could respond, "Nothing, my dear girl." He knelt down beside the Kokiri, offering an arm to assist her off of the floor, "Merely a nuisance that has been taken care of. You are safe now."

The witches stared at each other confounded as Link's mouth plummeted; his experiences with this awful man had not painted a delightful picture of him in Link's mind. He had not considered the whole person aspect of who Ganondorf was, his motivations and his values. Everything he knew about this man was completely one-sided. Was he really all that bad? How much change did he really impact on the future of these people?

Gratefully accepting his help, she was lifted up onto her feet. She felt a yearning in her heart but couldn't find what she was looking for, "Where is Sora?" Saria asked.

Link stood still; he really had no idea how to explain what just happened. Saria was startled back a step as words rang out in her head. _Do not fear Saria, for I am here with you always. I am now a part of you and will never leave your side again. All you have to do to find me is search your heart and I will be there._ Saria gripped the front of her shirt and gripped tightly as she cried happily at the words flowing through her mind.

"Saria?" Link questioned with concern, "Is something wrong?"

She opened her eyes to assuage his worry, "No. Sora is still with me; inside me somewhere. I don't really know how but she will always be with me now."

Ganondorf merely rubbed his beard as he considered what transpired with the Kokiri and fairy, "Fascinating." Ganondorf conceded. Link and Saria turned to his imposing figure, "You were on the verge of death but your fairy sacrificed herself to save your life; now she lives on inside you?"

Saria nodded, it seemed the most logical explanation. Kotake stepped forward, "This is impossible, not even our strongest magicks can bring a dead person to life!"

Koume stood beside her sister pointing at Saria, "This is unnatural to the laws of our world. What have you done?"

Ganondorf swept the two accusatory witches back with a rush of wind, "Silence you old goats!" Link wanted to snigger at what he had thought was a joke; one look at Ganondorf's face indicated otherwise, he was upset with the two croons.

"Old?" Kotake squawked, "I'm 382 years old! I'm still young!"

"Liar!" Koume refuted, her red crystal flashing, "You are the same age as me! We are both 402!"

Their squabbling erupted forth before Ganondorf bellowed for them to be quiet. He pressed two fingers to the bridge of his nose as he fought to remain his composure. He looked up at nothing in particular as he spoke mostly to himself, "So they have forced my hand. We have no choice."

Ganondorf signaled the two witches to accompany him as they made their way outside the compound. Link and Saria followed the Gerudo king. Saria stumbled slightly as she drew in deep gasps; Link immediately came to her aid and held her up.

"What's wrong Saria?" Link worriedly asked.

"I don't know." Saria's eyes were wide, staring at the ground. "My back…"

Still holding Saria to keep her from falling, Link looked at her back and noticed something extraordinary. Four body length gossamer wings were unfurling from her spine. They slowly spread out in a clover pattern, reflecting the multitude of light around them. Link was entranced at her new appendages as he excitedly explained what was happening.

Saria stood up and tried to look behind her but could only see the edges of her newly molded wings; she tested them slightly and found she could manipulate them. She giggled in delight as she started flapping them intensely to see if she could fly; she managed a few inches before losing control and falling to the ground. They both laughed as she attempted it again with little success.

Link shook his head in astonishment, "Saria, you are more beautiful than ever."

She looked down blushing at his compliment. _What a sweetie he is!_ Sora intoned in her mind. "Thank you Link." Was all Saria could say.

With a jerk of his chin, he indicated they should catch up, "Come on, let's see what Ganondorf is up to. We can show the rest your amazing wings later!"

They caught up with Ganondorf on the parapets overlooking the gorge of the valley. He was in a heated debate with the two witches as they hiked up the steps to their level.

"You already have one in effect my son….lord! Erecting another would be highly dangerous!" Kotake warned.

"Having two on your heart would be a great strain and could possibly kill you!" Koume agreed.

Ganondorf slashed a hand through the air buffeting them all with a surge of power, "I understand the implications! Just do it! We need to defend this place until we are ready! I am the king of the Gerudo and you will obey me!" He stormed.

If they were anyone other than who they were, he would have killed them on the spot. The fact he needed their assistance in this infuriated him to no end. Ganondorf prepared himself as the witches reluctantly agreed to start the blasphemous ritual. Drawing symbols in the air, a hum of energy started encircling Ganondorf as crackling bolts of magick shot forth from his body. A slow dome of malicious energy coalesced high above their heads before slowly descending, encompassing the entire Gerudo domain.

Ganondorf fell to one knee as the strain of maintaining the huge aura penetrating his heart. The beating felt unbearable as two different barriers tugged at his inner soul. Within moments the ritual was over; Ganondorf collapsed to the ground panting heavily. So much power was resting in his body; it took all of his effort to maintain both the barrier here and the one guarding the Temple of Time. He would be highly vulnerable for the duration of these auras, he knew.

Beating footsteps prompted Link to turn around; he saw Zelda and Malon running across the inner enclosure sands to meet up with them on the rampart. They all embraced affectionately as the two girls marveled at the new wings Saria has sprouted. She enjoyed showing them off and was flapping them furiously, much to Malon's delight.

Zelda walked up to Link to ask the obvious question as she viewed the domed barrier overhead, "What happens now?"

Answering her question for Link, Ganondorf picked himself up off the ground, "Now we wait it out. We prepare a plan to fight back." He was still winded.

Link interjected, "What about the rest of Hyrule?"

Ganondorf glared at the insolent boy who dared question his decision, "What about them? We leave them to their fate. My concern is my people. You should feel fortunate that you are under our protection for the time being." He gestured beyond the barrier, "I could have thrown you out there to fend for yourself."

Without another word, he swept past the children with the witches in tow. They continued watching until they had disappeared into the fortress. Impa silently stepped out of the shadows behind them, placing a calm hand on Link and Zelda. They all turned to face her.

"What happens now Impa?" Zelda asked.

Impa merely shook her head, "Nothing now. We are trapped here until Ganondorf lifts the barrier. We are now part of their world. We must adapt and support them as best we can. But do not be deceived, we fight for Hyrule, not for the Gerudo. Remember that."

They all nodded as they looked out over the gorge through the shimmering light. A silence descended upon the group as they gazed upon their homeland for what seemed like the final time. Nobody wanted to admit what was apparent in all their hearts: Hyrule was lost…

_In battle, in the forest, at the precipice in the mountains,_

_On the dark great sea, in the midst of javelins and arrows,_

_In sleep, in confusion, in the depths of shame,_

_The good deeds a man has done before defend him._

_- Bhagavad Gita Scripture_


	29. Chapter 28 - Transitions

_So we begin Act 2! There has been a huge passage of time and a crap-ton of exposition to reveal to the reader. Instead of doing one big info dump at the start of this chapter, I spread it out (I hope) interestingly throughout as it became necessary to learn what had occurred the past few years. Character relationships are changing and will help shape arcs for each character over the course of act 2. I hope you enjoy where I'm taking our beloved familiar characters as they pass adolescence and become the adults they need to be. As for confirmation of ages, Link is 18 almost going 19 while Zelda and Malon just turned 18. So if you are wondering, full-on lemon territory could be brewing now! And for those curious as to the passage of time: Giana is 5 years old. Who knows how old Saria is, make up a number. Enjoy everyone and thanks for the support so far!_

- **CHAPTER 28 – Transitions**

It had been a long, hard day of training; his toned, muscular body brimming with sweat. Link stood in full confidence holding the trident in both hands as he awaited his opponent to make the first move. The midday sun beat mercilessly on their bodies as their skin had tanned over the years. He stared at his opponent as a teacher looked on the engagement with scrutiny. At a signal, she moved first; running at him with great speed, she leveled her javelin at his heart.

Link quickly sidestepped her first lunge as she twirled around to reattempt her jab; he brought the trident down, catching the shaft of her javelin, pushing it to the ground. Infuriated, she utilized her weapon as a vaulting stick to leap over him; landing behind him, she quickly swung her foot around tripping him. He landed hard on his back and immediately rolled to the side as she sliced the metal tip into the dirt.

Recapturing his breath from the brutal fall, he reacquired his weapon as she yanked hers out of the ground. She surged forward in another endeavor to pierce his heart; he swooped under the whistling blade as it nicked part of his ear. Wincing at the sudden pain, Link continued forward with his rush and smacked his palm squarely into her stomach. She doubled over from the blow as he proceeded past her and finished the job by smacking her on the rump with the butt of his trident.

She crumpled forward planting her face hard on the dirt as her weapon slipped from her grip and clattered onto the dusty ground before her. Link seized the opportunity and leapt over her defenseless body and placed the three prongs of the weapon into her back. With a cry of rage, she back kicked him hard on one leg as he was forced to kneel from the blow; she quickly spun around onto her back, knocking the trident out of his hands with her arm.

She bowled him over and straddled him; her arm across his neck digging in to cut off his air. She smiled smugly as Link squirmed trying to get her weight off of him as she slowly suffocated him to death as her arm was slowly crushing his windpipe. With one final movement, Link placed both hands above him flat on the ground and to the shock of both student and trainer, flipped his legs over with her on top a full 180 degrees. She cried out when her back hit the ground and he was the one in control.

Unable to catch a breath after the heavy thump, she could do nothing as Link grinned maliciously. He rushed forward and bound her to his lips; she struggled fruitlessly against his barrage of passion as he continued to assault her with his kiss. Her arms banged uselessly against his chest; he merely chuckled deep in his throat as his tongue slipped into her mouth. Resistance was futile after that and they both knew it.

Within moments their hands were fondling each other and limbs wrapping around like tangled vines. The teacher hastily ran up to them to put an end to the ruckus; as much as she wanted to watch the show, there was protocol to follow! The Gerudo yelled, "Stop it you two! This is a training session, not a make out session! You take that crap behind closed doors!" Link lifted up from the kiss with a dazed grin as the trainer continued to yell at them. "Get off of her Link! Malon, you lost this time. We'll try again tomorrow."

Still chortling from his victory, he stood up and walked back a few paces to allow Malon to get back on her feet. It had been a long seven cycles living with the Gerudo; Malon had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Her succulent breasts were covered in a white sash across her chest with straps over her shoulders to keep it in place; leaving her arms and midriff bare for the training. She wore the standard ivory pants to be expected of an apprentice of the Gerudo culture, laced tight with a plain leather belt at the waist.

Many Gerudo had noticed how beautiful she had become and wanted to bed her weekly; it was all Talon could do to keep her from becoming nothing but fodder for the fellow women. He made a plea to Nabooru to spare his daughter the Gerudo custom of sharing apprentices among the women for pleasure; she was not born to this life and she shouldn't have to suffer for it. After many meetings and deliberations, the council finally agreed that she should be the exception; much to the chagrin of many a woman who fantasized over Malon in the depths of the night.

In fact, Link observed as Malon walked over to her shirt lying on the ground, she was looking more like a Gerudo every day; her skin had tanned to the point it was quite similar in hue to any of the other dark skinned Gerudo. Her brilliant, red hair rivaled the other women in the community as it reached down just below her waist. It was during their second cycle living with them that Malon noticed Nabooru was growing a swollen belly; she was shocked to discover she was to be expecting a sister!

After the baby was born, it was revealed to Malon that Nabooru was her real mother; it had come as quite a blow to her. Up to that point, they were never on the best of terms and she made a point to avoid her entirely those first several cycles. Nobody could console her for days; she moped around the compound unable to bring herself to the ultimate truth that her heritage; these women were her blood and kin on her mother's side.

In time, she came to accept her lineage and eventually grew to be on civil speaking terms with Nabooru; there was always a level of mistrust between them but it was never outright hostile anymore. Talon was completely at peace with his new living situation; having been regulated to just one woman, his life eased considerably among the Gerudo. Malon could do nothing but be happy for her father for the love he had found.

A budding romance was growing between her and Link and a lot of the women could see it too. As they grew up together in the fortress, Link and Malon gleaned hints and ideas as to what actually happened between a man and a woman in the privacy of night. Like a few rebellious teenagers, they had attempted many times to sneak away and confirm the knowledge they had learned from their raunchy Gerudo benefactors.

Just as they were in the throes of their passion, Impa, Nabooru, or some other irritating woman would find them and put a stop to it before it was ever consummated. It gnawed at them that they couldn't express what they felt for each other deep inside on a physical level; the most they ever came to it was kissing and fondling with clothes on. After the first few times of being caught, Nabooru put a stop to it to make sure Malon had a constant Gerudo companion wherever she went; the two were not pleased at this prospect.

The trainer ensured Malon had everything she needed before heading over to Link; she placed a tender hand on his shoulder as she congratulated him, "Good job out there! You learn faster than most women! I think you will be a fine warrior."

Link flushed at her praise, "Thank you."

The woman briefly glanced back to make sure Malon was out of earshot before whispering, "As much as I see that you two like each other, it is still up to the elders who is eligible to have a baby. Women don't just decide for themselves to get pregnant, they must get consent from the council before claiming a man to be the donor." Link nodded, it was odd that he was getting advice on sexual matters from a woman who was technically his superior.

With a glint in her eye she leaned in a bit further as they strolled down the hill toward the compound, "Besides…there is no exception for you yet. Why the council hasn't allowed access to you as breeding stock, I have no idea. When the time comes, you may not be able to decide the women you'll be sleeping with weekly!" She crowed at her teasing; Link looked away hurriedly to avoid her sensual stare. He jumped slightly as she squeezed his butt before walking on ahead waving bye.

Malon stepped up behind him and watched as the woman headed down the path, "They are constantly swooning for you, aren't they?"

Link smiled, "So are you."

She gave him a huge shove as they laughed, "You jerk! I completely had you there before you cheated!"

Sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth he teased, "The moment I had you in my arms, the fight was over. Just admit it, you can't resist my charm!"

He leaped sideways as he deftly avoided a misaimed swing. She kicked forward hoping to strike a shin but met nothing but air and his laughter. "You're horrible Link! I don't know why I put up with you!" The words sounded terrible, but Malon's face told a different story.

As the mirth subsided they walked down the incline a ways in silence before Malon spoke up, "You are a handsome man Link." He flicked over to see her deep in thought; eyes on the ground. She hesitated before continuing, "I…I hope that when my time comes, that I'm with you." She dared not look up for fear of being embarrassed by his penetrating gaze.

"Who cares about their rules?" Link asserted. Malon brought up her head in shock. "We may be in their domain, but that does not make us Gerudo. We can love whom we want."

"But I'm half Gerudo Link. That is a part of me I can't change. My mother is one of the elders of the council. I even have a little sister who looks more tanned than I do! Other than my father, our family is firmly entrenched in the heritage of their culture!" Malon exclaimed.

"Yes," Link said calmly, "but does that obligate you to following their laws?"

Malon tilted her head as she directed her eyes back on the path, "I'm not sure. Ganondorf is their king and ultimately the enforcer of all their rules. Would he even allow it? Would we be punished for going outside the bounds of their strict law of pregnancy?" She sighed heavily.

It was true, ever since Ganondorf had erected the aura around their domain, food, water, and other resources began to grow scarce. Pregnancies were limited to only a few a year to avoid the problem of having too many mouths to feed. It took intense effort, but Ganondorf was able to let several scout groups to leave to scavenge for more supplies, very rarely men (the few that were left); the stories they came back with were not encouraging to say the least.

The army had fully settled into Hyrule town and had claimed the castle as their main functional base; other regiments of the horde split off and occupied other areas including Kakariko and Lon Lon Ranch. The southern route through the desert to the Negev Marshlands seemed to be the only route left open to the Gerudo to sneak additional provisions into their kingdom. It wouldn't be long now before even that was sealed off and they eventually starved to death. Naar was playing a waiting game with the Gerudo; after seven cycles, he was slowly winning.

Link shrugged as they walked on, "Probably Malon, but I don't want any of the other women. They are all the same and I share none of the same passions as I do with you."

Malon giggled, sweeping back her ponytail, "True, but I don't think they want to be with you for your personality. They only want you for your body, it's about the only good attribute you have!"

"Yeah." Link agreed, after a moment of thought, "Hey!"

Malon ducked away from Link's arm as he meant to grab her around the neck, "There is more to me than just that!" Link rebutted.

With a flourish of red hair, Malon was running down the hill with Link in hot pursuit; several of the positioned guards looked up from their bored stupor to see the two teenagers running down. They shook their heads in tolerance as the two ran by quickly, kicking up sand and dirt. Malon was squealing in delight as Link roared down the pathway trying to overtake her; he may be stronger and more skilled with weapons, but she was nimble and faster than he was.

"Malon!" A tiny voice cried out from a doorway.

Skidding to a halt, she swirled to the adorable voice, "Lil sis! Come here, you!"

The little girl hurtled forward into her big sister's outstretched arms in one, big, loving tackle. They swirled around and around with the force of their hug as Link finally caught up to them. He smiled as he looked on the joyful meeting. She was every bit as pretty as her bigger sister; her head encircled by a blazing mane of red hair complete with eyes of the deepest blue. Her petite body was darker than Malon's and gave more credibility to her lineage; whenever she smiled, as she did now, the biggest dimples would form on her cheeks.

"Hi Link!" She waved at him ecstatically as she looked over Malon's shoulder.

"Hey Giana. You are looking absolutely stunning today!" Link extolled.

Giana's little face flushed something fierce as Malon turned to him, holding Giana against her hip with one arm. "Well, I have to get going now Link. I need to clean up after today's training." Malon affirmed.

Nodding his head, Link agreed, "Me too. It was a good work out. Thanks!"

"Bye Link! Play with me later?" Giana looked at him bashfully.

"You know it little princess!" Link laughed. Giana giggled with glee at his little pet name for her. She truly felt like one whenever Link was around.

"Okay heartthrob," Malon rolled her eyes, "time to get going!"

She spun on her heel and headed indoors to bathe; Giana was furiously waving back at Link the entire way. Link chuckled at how cute she was; he had to say this much, Talon and Nabooru sure made some awesome kids!

"I still have trouble believing you've grown up so fast. You're not the boy I knew." A voice said behind him.

Smiling, he turned around as he beheld Saria. She hadn't aged a day since she left the forest; she had to look up into his face to talk to him. Not liking that prospect much, she learned how to utilize her wings functionally; she was on level with his eyes, flapping her ethereal wings to keep aloft. Some of the Gerudo seamstresses made brand new Kokiri clothes for her with an obligatory Gerudo flare; spiraling stripes of ivory swirled around her green tunic with the texture of patchwork leaves. It looked silly at first until she put it on; then it seemed it was always meant for her.

Link waved a hand to brush off her comment, "I'm still the same boy you've always known. I'm just bigger now and know more things."

Saria smiled as she put a finger to her lips, "That remains to be seen."

"Not you too!" Link sighed.

"Oh?" Saria looked amused, "Did Malon tease you too today?"

_As well she should!_ Sora fumed in Saria's mind, "Shush you!" She hissed.

"What is she saying now?" Link asked, pointing to her head.

"Just agreeing with you, that's all." Saria lied innocently.

Link raised an eyebrow but disregarded her blatant attempt to quell the argument with her internal fairy. Ever since Sora had bonded in a literal sense to Saria seven cycles ago; she was prone to having conversations with herself daily. To the Gerudo who were not there to witness the miraculous event, they all thought she had gone a bit batty after having come back from the brink of death. 'Must have been a brush with the afterlife that made her this way'; they would whisper amongst each other. Saria paid them no mind and continued her regular talks with Sora.

Another surprising development that shocked Link, Zelda and the others was her growing friendship with Ganondorf. Ever since that night, he had taken a real liking to her; he was overly protective of her and would always spoil her rotten, much to the dismay of anyone in attendance. It didn't help Saria's disposition towards everyone; she began to feel slightly entitled to the exquisite treatment she was receiving. Link always made sure she was brought down a few notches every time they met; it is what any true friend would do!

"So, what's up with you today?" Link nonchalantly asked.

"Oh, nothing." She purported. Fluttering after him as he walked across the sand to his quarters, she spoke coyly, "So when are you and Malon finally going to get together?"

Link stopped in his tracks as he gazed up at the sky in exasperation, "Ugh! Enough with that question already! I've told you millions of times that we can't be together because of the Gerudo laws."

Saria grinned, "That's not what I saw last night!"

Link twisted in her direction in shock, "You saw us kissing?"

Saria swiftly glanced away before saying in a cherubic voice, "I don't know."

His mouth contorted in a mixture of a sneer and a smile; ultimately undecided what it should do. "You little sneak!" He accused, "You kept watching, but didn't alert us to Impa coming?"

A small grin emerged on her face as she kept her bubbling merriment in check, "Maybe."

"You know," Link started, waggling a finger at her, "it isn't nice to peep in on people in their private moments!"

Saria turned to him feigning shock, "What? Are you saying I can't see that when I'm never going to experience it in my life? Look at me!" She gestured to herself. "I'm not getting any older, that will be a part of life I'll never get to have. Would you honestly deny me of at least viewing my best friend experiencing it?"

Link shivered slightly at the proposition, "As good a point as that is," he quickly looked away, "it's still kind of weird."

"Not as weird as you two fumbling around like a bunch of overgrown Deku Scrubs trying to slip out of clothes." Saria said flatly.

"Hey!" Link fumed affronted. "That wasn't necessary."

"You two seriously need to pick better times and places so you won't get caught all the time." Saria offered.

Link began storming indoors, leaving her to catch up, "I can't believe I'm listening to this talk from you! The last thing I need is love advice from a Kokiri that hasn't had any."

Saria broiled at the comment, "Excuse me? Come back here Link!"

He was practically running down the corridors, passing alarmed Gerudo who were befuddled as to why Link was running away from a very angry, flying Kokiri. Finally arriving at his door, he slammed it shut behind him and inserted the bolt. Within moments Saria had started pounding on the door; Link hooted with elation at having outrun Saria to his room.

"Open this door Link!" Saria buzzed crossly.

"I'm taking a bath now! Let me bathe in peace!" Link yelled from inside the room.

Link stripped and blissfully stepped into the warm bath water that filled the body-sized barrel in the corner of their room; every day after training, the apprentices usually went to each room and restocked each bath with warm water for the occupants. He jerked and quickly looked around the room, he had completely forgotten that Zelda was his roommate; he breathed a sigh of relief as he discovered the room to be empty, it wasn't the first time he accidently forgotten she was there when he went to bathe. Those were awkward moments.

They had kept up the ruse of Zander but it had taken a huge toll on Impa, who had to maintain the guise over Zelda through the cycles. She looked weary and worn down from keeping her presence secret from Ganondorf and the rest of the Gerudo; she couldn't train daily and her abilities and skills suffered as a result. It had not been an easy time for Impa. Most nights she would stay in their room and watch over them as they slept; during the days, they were unsure of where she went.

Once Zelda turned her 15th cycle, another strange thing occurred; late in the evenings as he was settling down to sleep, Impa would emerge and request Zelda's presence for several hours. Link never knew where they went or what they did, most nights it would be close to midnight before they returned; both exhausted and tired. One night he decided to follow them to see what went on under the cover of darkness, he never could catch up to them; either because they blended in with the shadows or simply gave him the slip. Zelda had slowly drifted away from him as a friend and he had no idea why.

Saria's pitiful wail broke him from his thoughts, "Will you please let me in?"

Link happily replied, "No."

After a few moments of silence, "Do you love me Link?"

Link suppressed a belly laugh, "Of course I do Saria."

"Am I still your best friend?" Saria asked for confirmation.

"Always." Link returned.

"So can I come in now?" Saria asked wistfully.

"Still no." Link replied smiling.

After a few minutes of silence and letting the water ease his aching muscles, he heard some scrabbling on the other side of the door. Within moments he knew she had left. Well, he thought to himself, that was quite the unexpected conversation with Saria! He snickered to himself as his head submerged beneath the surface of the reinvigorating water.


	30. Chapter 29 - Separating the Two

_I do love teasing the readers with another lime! I'm sure a bunch of people by the end of this chapter will be throwing their hands up in fury at what could have almost been! Don't worry, whoever it'll be, it'll be grand. But in terms of the story, it is not yet time for a lemon. It'll happen when its at the most ideal time and place; it will not be forced but will occur organically between Link and...whoever it happens to be. ^_^ Enjoy!_

- **CHAPTER 29 – Separating the Two**

Ganondorf swept his hand across the table in rage; vials and tubes were scattered to the floor, shattering into many pieces. The trembling old man before him quivered in a bundled heap as he whispered mercies. Ganondorf was enraged at the lack of progress the imbecilic scientist had made over the course of the past three cycles and was not afraid to slow his displeasure about it. He stared him down from on high as he stepped over to his whimpering form.

"What do you mean you can't make anymore?!" Ganondorf bellowed.

The old man shriveled further into the folds of his clothes as he did his best to cringe away from Ganondorf's wrath. He stuttered almost incoherently, "I…I can't make a…anymore! I…simply don't h…have enough venom!"

Ganondorf placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose as he sighed deliberately at the incompetent man, "Did you not ration it between all the weapons? Did you use too much per weapon?"

"N…no!" The man exclaimed, "I made sure I used just enough per arrow and sword to make it effective!"

The last seven cycles had been rough on the Gerudo; although they were safe behind the aura Ganondorf had erected and was keeping alive through great force of will, the army periodically made attacks to weaken the shield. It had little effect on the barrier but impressed great burden on his heart with each blow they connected. The women were able to utilize the new weapons to fire beyond the barrier to explode several of the men on the spot with the powerful venom; most stayed outside of their range after that. In time, their resources were getting limited as the remaining venom to apply to their weapons had run out.

"Perhaps he is telling the truth, my lord." Kotake offered as she stepped up to the sniveling man.

"Agreed sister, I do not sense any lies in his words." Koume confirmed.

"What do you witches know?!" Ganondorf screamed at them. He quickly had to compose himself, he had been under a lot of stress recently and it was taking its toll on his mental sanity.

Both witches shied from his ire but remained in place, confident that he would not hurt them, even in the deepest of his rages.

A small voice from the doorway seemed to instantly calm the room, "Are you frightening that poor man again Ganondorf?"

Only one person called him that name so casually, he looked up relieved that she was there to calm his spirits. Saria walked into the room and stooped low to place a reassuring hand on the old man; she smiled at him as he looked up at her blubbering with despair.

"I…I'm telling you the truth! There is simply no more venom!" He cried, "Oh, I just wish I was back at my home on Lake Hylia conducting my experiments in peace!"

She knowingly nodded her head, "I know Terrance. I'll make sure the 'bad' people go away." She smothered a giggle as he looked upon her graciously and in awe; as if she was an angel in disguise come to save him. In some ways, she might have been mistaken for one with her wings.

"Oh look Koume, it is the master's little pet!" Kotake scoffed.

"Come to do the master's bidding and being the good little girl that she is!" Koume sneered.

"Out." Ganondorf seethed, it was hardly above a whisper but the meaning was clear. Both witches huffed as they shuffled their way out of the room; each one giving evil glares at Saria as they passed.

"Ganondorf, he says he has no more venom, do you not trust him on that?" Saria said casually as she strode up to his hulking form; deliberately staying on the ground as she looked up into his eyes from her diminutive height. Over the cycles, she had learned how to manipulate his moods and knew exactly what to do to pacify his anger.

His grimace softened at the sight of his little, personal angel. Ever since that miraculous event seven cycles ago where Saria came back from the threshold of death; he had taken her under his wing as almost a private daughter. Ganondorf had seeded many daughters over his time as king, but they were all the same and held no meaning for him. Saria was someone unique and forever unchanging; something about Saria made him want to protect and treat her with special significance. The events with Kiera did little to help matters and only strengthened his resolve to make sure the same thing did not happen to Saria.

Ganondorf sighed at the seemingly simple logic of her words, "You are right. We need to send another expedition out and acquire more venom from the beasts of the marshlands to the south." He quickly nodded his head before sweeping his cape behind him as he headed for the chamber door, "Old man, see to it that you clean up this mess, you are free to go back to your room after that."

Terrance flubbed unintelligibly as he scrabbled across the ground trying to pick up the mess Ganondorf had made; Saria gave the old coot a heartfelt look before following Ganondorf into the hall. He didn't have to so mean all the time; she was trying her best to be that positive influence in his life. Saria reasoned that because he had a terrible upbringing that he had turned out this way. She was determined to help stem the tide.

"How do you fare today my little fairy?" Ganondorf spoke, with obvious affection in his voice.

She colored at his little pet name for her, "I'm doing very well, thank you. I got to watch the trainees practice in the field up on the hill today."

He confirmed her response with a grunt, "I don't expect you to fight, but did you learn a lot from observing?"

She nodded vigorously as they turned the corner into another corridor, "Oh yes! I find the art of warfare fascinating. The skill and technique used is almost like a dance in itself."

Ganondorf's gaze flicked over to the Kokiri with some concern, "Agreed, but that is one aspect I hope you will never have to put into practice. You've experienced enough already in this war."

Saria tilted her head as she thought about his worry for her, "But I want to fight! I want to feel useful to everyone! Why won't anybody let me prove myself?" She sighed.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he turned to her; he quickly knelt down and placed both hands on her shoulders. She stared intently into his eyes, imploring him to reconsider, "Saria, you are young and still innocent. Something I think we have all lost in this war. I would like to keep it that way." Ganondorf explained smoothly.

She began to whine in frustration, "But I never age Ganondorf! I might be older than you!"

He guffawed hard at her statement, "As true as that may be, my objective is to protect the last remaining Kokiri in this world."

Saria was astonished at the gravity of his words, "I just want to help; to fight alongside my friends. Link and Malon are already training up to be fine warriors while I'm merely sitting on the sidelines." She persisted.

Without missing a beat, Ganondorf followed up with a question, "You saw them train today?"

Saria nodded in the affirmative, "Yes, they are really close. They play with each other all the time, both on the battlefield and off." She continued rambling about the two of them, unaware of what she was revealing to Ganondorf.

Lost in thought, Ganondorf rose up to his feet, "Thank you Saria for telling me this; I am glad they are such fast friends."

Saria smiled, happy to be of some help to Ganondorf, "So what now?" She asked inquisitively.

"Let us retire to my room, I wish to hear one of your beautiful songs." Ganondorf requested.

With evident happiness in her face, she paced down the hall alongside him as she began singing a song of the forest. Her melodic voice carried down the halls and soothed anyone within earshot of her innocent ballad. Ganondorf kept walking only half listening to the harmonious tones; his thoughts were on Link and Malon. Things were getting more serious by the day; it was time to separate those two and keep what belonged to the Gerudo.

**-Break-**

Link quickly stashed away the whispering mask under his pillow as the door shifted open slightly; Zelda quietly entered before shutting it without a sound. She tiptoed over to her bed and was rustling to get under the covers to relax her aching bones. She yelped a bit as Link startled her with his unexpected voice.

"Where do you go all these nights Zelda? Don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking out with Impa. Do you go train? Do you moonlight as the eternal defender of our kingdom? What do you do?" Link began interrogating.

"Please, Link, just drop it." Zelda sighed, wanting nothing more than to rest her head on the pillow and drift into oblivion.

Tonight was different, maybe it was his practice with Malon that day that gave him confidence to speak further on the matter, "I will not drop it. You've had me worried for several cycles now. What is it that Impa is teaching you? It's obviously something!" He persisted.

She sat up in her alcove as she stared over to his position across the room, separated only by a table in the center of their chamber. "We just go out and have long talks, ok?" Zelda exasperated.

"Long talks." Link said flatly, clearly not believing.

"Yes." She confirmed with determination, "Now please turn around, I need to dress for bed."

Link obliged as Zelda began stripping her sweaty clothes off her body; she wished she could bathe but dared not in Link's presence, it was no longer proper anymore. Over the cycles, she had developed into a very striking woman; her curves had accentuated and her chest had blossomed lavishly. It was extremely hard to hide her monthly flows from Link when they started just three cycles ago.

She unclipped her blond hair and let it flow down to her buttocks; it was normally silky smooth but was caked with the grime and dirt of the day. The intense effort of both Impa and Zelda in keeping up the Zander ruse was taking a toll on both of them. As Zelda grew out of puberty into a fully developed woman, more Gerudo were starting to notice strange inconsistencies with Zander. During her time of month, she basically had to become a hermit to avoid attracting suspicions from the local populace. It was unclear as to why Impa choose to keep Zelda's identity a secret, but Link figured it had something to do with Ganondorf and what he might do with her.

Zelda emitted a small squeak as Link's hands enveloped her arms; gently kneading the muscles underneath her skin. She quivered at his touch but did nothing to dissuade his advance. He spoke calmly behind her, "If long talks are all you two are doing, then why are you sweaty? Why have you grown these muscles you did not have before? You are obviously training."

"This is scandalous Link. Please let me dress." Zelda shivered not from the cold (for the room was quite warm) but from the closeness of Link to her naked form.

"Answer the question Zelda." Link insisted, "You owe me that much after years of pulling away from me. Are we not friends?"

She turned her head to the side to get a glimpse of his face but stayed with her back to him, "Of course we are still friends." She hesitated, "There are just some things I cannot tell you."

"Will you tell me what you can?" Link proposed an alternative.

Slowly bowing her head she began, "Yes." Keenly aware of his hands still kneading her arms, she began, "It is true Impa and I have been going out at night to train. She is getting old Link and is the only Sheikah here. She has no idea if any others are left alive outside the barrier. She fears that, in time, she will no longer be able to protect me."

She turned around to face him; it took all of his willpower to keep his eyes on her face. She was intimately close to him as his arms were wrapped around her shoulders; forcing his mind not to wander he focused on the conversation. "But I can protect you Zelda." Link offered.

She shook her head as she smiled at his assertion, "I understand and I believe you would do your best. Impa wants to ensure that I can defend myself. She is training me in the ways of the Sheikah so that I can be protected even after she is gone."

The puzzle pieces were starting to come together; it made a lot more sense now. Of course Impa would want to do that. Link asked wistfully, "May I come join and watch your training? I'd love to learn."

Zelda shook her head again as he frowned at her refusal, "That is something she expressly told me; the ways of the Sheikah are secret to all but themselves. Since I am the object of their protection, she felt it necessary to break that tradition and train me in their ways. She's told me so many things…about…" Zelda halted as she realized she might be saying too much.

"I understand now that you can't explain everything Impa has conveyed to you. I won't force the issue." Link assured, Zelda seemed visibly relieved. "But will you please promise me that you won't hide something like that from me again? We are friends and I don't want to lose you."

Zelda beamed warmly as a tear flickered down her face; Link went rigid with shock as she hugged him tightly. The feel of her warm body pressed up against his played havoc with his mind; her breasts compressed across his chest were quite distracting.

"Thank you so much for understanding Link!" Zelda cried into his shoulder. It had been hard on her all these cycles of keeping this secret from him. Telling him evaporated a huge encumbrance off her chest; she was finally free to be herself again with him. She hated the sneaking and the lies.

After holding each other for several minutes, Link could feel Zelda slowly gripping his shirt. Confused he leaned back to look into her face;; she regarded him longingly as she was nervously biting her lower lip in indecision of what she should do next. A split second decision urged Zelda to place her lips onto his; Link's eyes shot open as she pressed into the kiss. Her hands began raking down his shirt in an attempt to rip it off his back as her body crushed into his with an inner primal need.

Link's senses were assailed with a swirling spiral of confused thoughts; he had barely any time to react to this sudden change of events and did little to halt Zelda's advance. This was something completely new for the two of them; he wasn't exactly sure how he should take it. His lack of resistance was enough incentive for her as she began to pull off his shirt, revealing the ripping muscles across his chest and abs. Her hands danced across them as Link shuddered at her touch.

Link felt guilty cooperating in this; all he could think about was that Zelda was still a princess of Hyrule. They were friends, should they be doing this? She began to nudge him towards his bed as she planted kisses over his face and neck; slowly unloosing the strap that held his pants up.

As they slumped to the ground revealing his obvious interest to her, she surged ahead with conviction; more certain than ever what she wanted to do. He was absolutely gorgeous and a strapping specimen of a man; why she never attempted this before she had no idea. She leaned him onto his back upon the furs as she began to slide over him.

"Zelda…I…" Link fumbled with his words. This was not happening! It seemed too unreal.

"Yes?" She responded huskily as she slowly trailed her kisses down his chest, getting lower with each kiss. Her hands were already massaging his inner thighs, scant inches away from the object of her desire.

"Uh…we…can't…Malon." The effect was immediate and as drastic as if he had dumped a basin of cold water over Zelda. Link cringed at her expression when she drew back from him; hurt echoing in her eyes as she stared at him. He had said the wrong thing and they both knew it.

She promptly got off of him roughly and proceeded over to the barrel; its water chill from sitting through the evening. "Link, I would like it if you were to turn around while I bathe." Zelda said icily. The rancor in her voice was apparent as she slipped into the water, gasping slightly at the temperature of it.

Muddled and disoriented, Link rolled over facing the blank adobe wall. His thoughts were jumbled as he tried to make sense of what just happened between the two of them. Did he just ruin something that they just repaired? Was it wrong for him to deny her something like this? Do friends really act this way when they got older together? The questions swirled about his mind as he heard the lapping of water from Zelda's bathing.

The last thing Link remembered was smacking his pillow to make the mask shut up.


	31. Chapter 30 - Setting Forth

- **CHAPTER 30 – Setting Forth**

"You know what I can offer." It lulled in its enticing whispers, "All you have to do is just put me on. It is that simple."

Angry at its constant rambling to strap the mask on, Link shoved it deep down in the rucksack before piling various fabrics and clothes on top of it. The less he had to see of that horrid mask, the better. He had thought it impossible to come back to his room that night many cycles ago to see those bloodshot eyes regarding him from atop his bed in the darkness.

To keep its constant murmurings out of his head and to keep it hidden, he kept it concealed under his pillows and furs of his bed; lacking any other reliable place to put the dreadful thing. Most nights he hardly dreamt at all; the few nights he did get some decent sleep it was nothing but the stuff of nightmares. The horrific beating of feathers filled his ears as a multi-winged creature descended from the sky to consume him whole. Some nights he woke up screaming, glistening with sweat; Zelda was concerned but decided not to push the issue of him recounting what he dreamt.

Impa came up beside Link startling him slightly, "Is everything okay, Link?" She asked with some unease.

He simply shrugged his shoulders, "I guess."

Impa had grown visibly older in the past seven cycles; it was clear in the wrinkles sprouting across her face. She was still fit and looked quite deadly despite her haggard appearance. Her close watch over their sleep had grown less frequent of late; they had gone multiple weeks at a time without seeing her at all. Her hair was no longer slicked back into a ponytail but had developed down her back and fell about her head in tangles. Link worried about her overall mental state; she mostly kept to herself and continued to take Zelda out on training every evening; he felt she was pushing herself too hard.

"You guess? You sound more annoyed than you are letting on Link." Impa persisted.

Link exhaled as he tied the drawstrings to seal the pack shut, "I just don't know why Ganondorf thinks this plan will work. Why, all of a sudden, does he think this could actually work?"

Just the previous day, Ganondorf had called to meeting all the elders; he invited Link, Talon, Malon, Saria and Zelda to the assembly. Ganondorf demanded that they attempt the collection of the remaining spiritual stones beginning with the Goron Ruby to the east. Link argued that it was foolish to think they could easily acquire the Zora Sapphire deep in the enemies' clutches. Irritated, Ganondorf explained that they were entrenched in planning that campaign and would ultimately have a solution by the time he returned with the ruby.

Pacified but not entirely satisfied with the answer, Link had no choice but to agree to the mission. Ganondorf ordered that Talon and Malon were to stay there at the fortress, for they were now family to their society. Saria was not to leave his side; she was not allowed to accompany Link on this journey. He offered a contingent of Gerudo guards led by his favored elder, Apolloni. She leered at him as Link sat disgusted by this decision. Zander offered his services and was waved off as being acceptable to join; Ganondorf didn't really care one way or another for the boy.

Impa placed a motherly hand on the youth, she was so proud of the man he had grown into. She knew he would never consider her his true mother, but she was flattered to be his honorary aunt. "To tell you the truth Link, I believe it is to get you out of his hair." She spoke softly.

"But why?" Link asked, slinging the pack behind him, looping his arms though the straps.

"I do not know. I believe there is more here than meets the eye. I will be staying behind to investigate further." She confirmed.

Link turned to her, eyes pleading, "Can't you come with us Impa? What about Zelda?"

She pressed a hand to her forehead as she attempted to stall a headache from encroaching in full force, "I'm afraid I cannot Link. I am confident Zelda can handle herself now; I've taught her as much as I can. She will be able to assist you better than I could at this juncture." She sighed.

He stood awkwardly at the pregnant pause between them; he didn't feel comfortable telling Impa what had transpired between him and Zelda several moons ago. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about Zelda accompanying him on this mission. She had already packed earlier that morning and was already waiting for him in the inner courtyard of the compound. With one final glance around the room to ensure he didn't forget anything, he adjusted his belt and sword scabbard. Link gave one last look at Impa before embracing her in a big hug.

"I'll miss you Impa. Please be safe here." Link said, shutting his eyes so tight that it hurt.

Impa wrapped her arms around him; tears of joy began to form at the thoughts of her brave, young nephew going out on his own, now fully a man. "I will miss you too Link. You go on ahead, I will stay here and await your return."

At length, they parted and Link headed for the door. He turned to give one last look at Impa but saw nothing but an empty room. He let out a breath despondently before setting forth down the hallway towards the midafternoon sun. Covering his eyes as the blinding sand pierced his irises with the refracted light from the sun; he noticed a huge gathering at the entrance to the desert.

His friends had gathered off to the left side of the portcullis, Ganondorf and the regiment of Gerudo was standing off to the right. All eyes were on him as he uneasily walked down the incline to the base of the grand gate leading to the expansive sands beyond. He moved over to his friends to say goodbye to each of them in turn; Ganondorf should have enough patience to allow him that comfort.

"Well, my boy! You've sure grown into a fine young man! I shall pray fer ya safe return Link!" Talon guffawed as he clapped Link on the back; he rubbed his shoulder softly at the painful smacks.

The last seven cycles had done Talon some good; he had worked out every day with Nabooru. It was a herculean effort on his part but you couldn't even tell he had been obese. His swelling arms were practically overflowing out of his tight clothes; he had made a point to have the seamstresses make him larger clothes. Nabooru put a quick stop to that, she liked her bulging man just as he was; tight fitting clothes and all. He was not thin by any means, but Talon had filled out his physique akin to that of a body builder.

"Thanks Talon." Link smiled warmly at the big man. What a proud father he was of two precious daughters. Link continued, "I hope your time comes again that you can be allowed to have another beautiful child; may you be blessed by the Goddesses and fruitful."

At this, Link bowed slightly as Talon flushed in front of Nabooru who was standing next to him, Giana in her arms. "Aren't you the charmer?" She spoke alluringly. "I will certainly miss seeing your delectable face around here Link. However Ganondorf's rules are law and we must obey." She paused, her gaze flicking over to Ganondorf briefly, before continuing, "Despite this, I sincerely hope you make it back safely."

She went to say more but a flash of pain crossed her face as she brought a hand up to her forehead; gently massaging her ruby. Giana looked up at her mom in confusion, "Are you okay mommy?"

Nabooru grimaced as she reassured her daughter, "Yes little one." She set Giana down on her feet as she walked over to Ganondorf irritated.

"Link! You'll come back to play with me right?" Giana happily shouted as she rushed into his arms.

Link picked up the petite girl and wrapped her in his loveable hug; planting lovely kisses all over her cheeks, "Of course! How could I stay away from such a pretty face like yours?"

Giana cackled with glee as she tried to evade his affections, "You're so silly Link!"

"Not as silly as you are, little princess!" With a growl he pretended to bite her neck and eat her up, she squealed in delight as she squirmed in his arms. "Mmm…so delicious! I think I'll just eat you up right now!"

"Ahhh…Sis, help!" Giana cried out jovially, her laughter carrying on the wind.

Malon strode up to the two of them, "I don't think I can lil sis," she began, arms crossed, "You look quite delicious to me too, I just might ask him to save me a piece."

Link took one quick look at Malon with what looked like an evil grin before commencing the attack, "Well, it's decided then! Onto the main course!" Giana's body went convulsive as his fingers tickled her every which way. After a time, Malon knew it was time to put an end to the festivities and ordered them to settle down; even Talon asked why she was being a poor sport, he was relishing the show.

Giana finally resettled back into Link's arms as she gave him a serious look, "Please promise you'll come back. I don't want you to die."

Link's heart broke at her words, he faked a smile as he comforted her by poking her on the nose, "For you, your faithful knight will come back to serve his little princess once again!"

Giana giggled as he finally set her down; one of the Gerudo led the bouncing girl back into the fortress for bath time. Link looked on blissfully before finally facing Malon; he didn't even get a chance to say a word as she hurtled into his arms. Their bodies intertwined as they embraced warmly. He could feel her body heaving with the sobs being dealt into his chest. She had been furious when she was commanded not to join Link on this journey; she refused to be consoled for hours. It wasn't until Giana came out to cheer her big sister up did she finally come around.

They parted from the hug but did not release their arms from around their bodies; they looked at each other speaking what did not need to be said out loud. They were being separated for a reason. Neither of them had any idea when they could be together again; that thought tore them apart from the inside. Link was at a loss for words, for he had none to express how much he loved her at this very moment.

She nodded, understanding the look in his eyes. She raggedly spoke, "Just come back to me alive, Link." With that she let him go and walked over to stand behind her father Talon; leaning into his comforting presence, overcome with grief to say more.

Saria stepped up to him, one foot in front of the other, hands clasped behind her back; the pure image of an angel. "I really wish I could be with you on this trip. Now that I'm no longer bound to the forest, I just want to travel and see the world!"

Link smiled at her enthusiasm, "I hear you Saria. I wish my best friend could come with me too. It'll be boring without you and Sora there to keep me company."

Saria flushed at his compliment, "You know Sora isn't around anymore."

Link ran a hand through her delicate green hair, "She is in here, and I'm sure you'd let me know everything she has to say to me. Right?"

Saria laughed, "Right! Just be safe out there for me Link." After a pause, "That's from Sora too."

Link bent over to pick Saria up and hug her deeply in his arms; Saria pressed into his body and enjoyed the comfortable warmth. Link let go only to find that Saria was still stuck to him, her wings beating softly to keep her aloft now that he was no longer supporting her.

"Um…Saria? Can I go now?" Link queried.

Without even opening her eyes, Saria hushed him, "Just a few minutes more Link. I want to remember this moment."

Rolling his eyes he clasped his arms around her back so she could rest her appendages. They finally parted as Saria walked over to stand with his other friends. Link finally turned to Zelda who was also wearing a white traveling tunic made of lightweight fabric that could breathe in the wind; she also carried a rucksack like his, most likely filled with extra clothes and provisions for the journey. They smiled briefly before walking together over to Ganondorf.

"Are you about done with your valedictions?" Ganondorf huffed. Without waiting for a response, he swept a hand over to Apolloni, "This will be your guide to the southern marshes. Apolloni, one of my best warriors, will ensure your safety. With her are three of the highest trained women we have outside of the elder council, Aveil, Lorva, and Merin."

Link looked at the company he would be traveling with; outside of Apolloni and her unique brunette hair, the other three looked interchangeable. All three carrying the distinctive traits of the Gerudo but none being singled out in any specific fashion; the four of them were dressed in violet robes and travel sandals. Each woman had a pack of her own filled with supplies; one woman even had two large bundles strapped to the top of hers, it was explained that they were tents one could set up while on the road.

Link nodded at them in greeting, the three women practically swooned at his attention. Apolloni simply sneered at his friendly advance; it was clear that she was not happy with this situation. She must not have volunteered for the job, indicated by Ganondorf's dismissal of her.

"Nice to meet you all officially." Link began cordially.

"Save the introductions for later." Ganondorf interjected, "You can have plenty of time to get to know them later." Link blushed as the three women smiled and winked their eyes in his direction. Ignoring them entirely, Ganondorf pressed, "I can only open a part of the barrier for a few minutes; all of you must go through immediately before it closes again. Do you understand?"

Confirmed with a nod, Ganondorf ordered the portcullis opened; grinding gears and years of sand fell off the metal bars as the spiked gate rose slowly into the air. He paced up to the shimmering wall of malice and raised his hands in the air; crackling energy sparked from his fingertips as he slowly pressed his arms into the barrier. A cry of agony rent the air as his entire body pulsated with dark forces; he almost staggered with the sheer effort of opening a portal large enough for one person to fit through.

Panting for air, Ganondorf screamed, "Go now!"

Apolloni led the procession as the three Gerudo women followed her out of the aura; they reveled in the rays of the sun as it beat firmly onto their skin. No longer having to suffer through filtered light as it passed through the barrier, they enjoyed it thoroughly. Zelda passed through next with Link leading up the rear.

A sudden shout twirled his attention around, "Stop her! Malon! What are ya doing?!"

Unacknowledged by anyone in attendance, she had picked up a pack she had hid the night before and was running full tilt towards the open barrier. Ganondorf risked a glimpse behind as he saw her running for the opening; to prevent her escape he began to slowly pull his hands back from the aura. Malon squawked as she saw the portal slowly closing. One of the guards made a grab for her pack as she hurled past but grabbed only air. With a final slide across the sand, Malon surged through as the aura slammed down into the dirt mere inches from her head. She had made it! She was on the outside with Link!

Shrieks of horror and despair erupted from beyond the aura as Talon and Nabooru rushed up to it. Talon cried out to Malon through the barrier, "What do ya think ya doing?! Have Ganondorf open this back up!"

"I cannot." Ganondorf grated, panting heavily on the ground exhausted. "It will be several moons before I am able to accomplish that again."

Apolloni smacked Malon to the ground with a vengeance; she leaped on top of her incapacitated form and grabbed a fistful of hair. She jerked Malon's face to her own before spitting on her cheek, "Why did you do that you worthless wench!? We can't afford to carry your weight with us!"

Link sprinted to assist Malon when a raised hand from Apolloni spurred the other three women to draw their swords. He raised his hands in submission as the three women bared down on him with calm menace. "Do not interrupt Link, this girl knew what she was doing and now she is to pay the price of her insolence!" Apolloni spat.

"No she will not." Ganondorf confirmed, able to hear everything from beyond the veil, "But there is someone who will."

Ganondorf lumbered up off the ground and stalked over to Talon. He signaled several guards to bind him to a nearby post which seemed clearly marked for something unpleasant. There were old stains of blood, baked into the wood from the scorching sun. Nabooru surged up to Ganondorf to demand that he release her man.

Without looking he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground, legs kicking in fruitless fury. He spoke mercilessly, "I've tolerated your idiosyncrasies long enough Nabooru, it is time you learned the price one pays for disobeying their king's laws." A casual flick of the wrist, he tossed her aside like a rag doll. She collapsed to the ground, coughing from his grip, struggling to breathe in precious air.

Apolloni observed what was going on and liked what she saw; she forcibly flipped Malon onto her stomach before roughly slammed back down onto her spine. Yanking her hair back with a fist, she forced Malon to watch the unfolding spectacle. Zelda attempted to intervene but was also blocked by one of the other three. Link and Zelda gazed on in dismay as they knew what was to come.

Talon was stripped to his waist as they tied him to the pole, his hairy back bare for all to see. Ganondorf raised one hand as a Gerudo emerged from the guard tower with a whip firmly in hand. "Twenty lashes to the father. May it serve as a lesson to both what happens when subordinates disobey me!"

Saria trilled as she flew through the air towards Ganondorf, trying to scream sense into his mangled brain, "Stop it! He did nothing wrong! Just let them go! What's done is done."

"Indeed." Ganondorf agreed. He fought Saria as she attempted to grab his arm; he flung her off and sliced it down through the air. "Now!"

The crack reverberated around the brick walls as two women screamed in unison. Nabooru shrieked as she fought against her fellow Gerudo who were holding her back steadfastly; she was rolling on the ground in madness. Malon could do nothing but cry as she watched her father endure the public beating. Each resounding crack forced another shout from Talon as another glistening line of blood formed across his back. Saria was a sniffling heap of tears as the final lash hit home. Talon had sagged against the poll and was dangling from the ropes tied to his wrists, rubbed raw from the tension.

Saria's indignant cry did little to bruise Ganondorf's demeanor, "I thought you were better than that!" With a sniffle, she flew off towards the compound.

Ganondorf watched indifferently as the women dragged Nabooru back to her quarters, hysterically wailing the entire way. His eyes swept the scene before landing on Talon. He directed one of the guards to leave the beaten man where he was, "Let him rot for the night, cut him down in the morning. Let him be an example to the rest." The woman saluted before dashing off.

Ganondorf strode up to the barrier, "Apolloni, Saria was right. What's done is done. Take Malon with you. Whether she survives or not is up to you. I trust your judgment." With a shared smirk between the two of them, he rotated around and confidently walked back to the fortress.

Apolloni released her hold as she let Malon up. She jeered, "I guess we have excess baggage now. Do try to keep up. I will not wait for you."

Malon shot her a glare but did not chance a response. She gratefully accepted the hugs from Link and Zelda as they rushed towards her; they silently cried together at the fate of her father. A click of the tongue from Apolloni warranted a scathing look; she merely smiled back at Link, uninterested in his hurt feelings.

"Come along lover boy, time is wasting and we need to get going!" She signaled the other three women to follow as they trudged off through the sand.

Without speaking a word to each other, the three of them walked off hand in hand after the Gerudo warriors. Malon turned one last time to see her father still kneeling at the base of the pole; he had looked up briefly to see her go. She mouthed silently to him, "I love you daddy."


	32. Chapter 31 - Loss of Innocence

_Warning: Lemon territory! But probably not the sexy lemon you all were hoping for or expecting. Sorry folks, but I need to embellish and flesh out the relationship between Naar and this character. It is essential I establish now what they mean to each other so later events have more impact. I know you've all been asking about her and although this may not be what you had hoped for her character, it is what is going to happen to her. She has a completely different character arc than pretty much any other female in this story, I sincerely hope you enjoy traveling with her down this path. Also, I hope I am writing the sex well, if you all have better examples I can use for the later...'real' lemon chapters, by all means point me in their direction. I could always use tips._

- **CHAPTER 31 – Loss of Innocence**

His hips kept shoving hard and fast; his firm manhood thrusting into her velvety folds, piercing her inner depths with vicious abandon. She barely flinched anymore when his teeth bit into her skin, leaving deep marks that sometimes trickled blood; it had all become common place to her. She merely stared at the ceiling, enveloping his body in her arms as she felt his massive frame glide over her.

The man's lust was insatiable; ever since that night seven cycles ago, he had visited her each night to plow into her tender body. Over time he relocated her permanently into his tent so that she may share his bed. The first time had been almost unbearable; his throbbing phallus punctured her womanhood with the force of a battering ram, the furs were stained red with the innocence that was lost.

As she grew older, she had developed into a beautiful woman as he put it. He would praise her, saying she got better with age; he showed his appreciation for her form by visiting her several times daily to satiate his undying hunger for her unique flesh. She had been the only female they had caught; the rest either escaped or were killed in the initial attack. That made her valuable to him.

With one final, animalistic growl he slammed his member deep into her slick juices; he moaned into her neck as he spilled his seed, convulsing as he expended the last reserves of his strength. The man slumped on top of her, enjoying the wet feeling of warmth of her inner chamber before finally slipping out and rolling to the side.

She shivered slightly when the feeling of his demonic fluid came dribbling out of her cleft; slowly pooling between her legs, she would have to be sleeping over that mess this evening she knew. It had become clear to the two of them that she was unable to get pregnant by his seed, or from any Nevachrean; this appealed greatly to her captor, it made these conjugal visits far more appealing with the lack of a consequence to take care of.

"You amaze me every single time." The burly man admitted.

"Thank you Naar." She said monotonously. She had learned to keep inflection out of her voice when talking with him; made her less of a target in his eyes. It did little when he was angry over something however; the scars and gashes across her skin were testament to that.

Guessing correctly what her thoughts were, he leaned over and stroked her right eye. She flinched as his fingers trailed across the scar stretching from her nose, through the lids of her eye and ending just above her brow. Naar had done that in a fit of rage the other evening; he had come into the tent storming. Summoning a blade, he proceeded to slice her across the face before tossing her onto the bed; penetrating her thoroughly with his manhood so violently it drew blood.

"I am very sorry for that, my dear. I will try better next time to control my anger against you." Naar soothed as he gently moved his hand to her belly, gently massaging her navel. He softly mused, "It is a shame we are unable to have a child. I hadn't thought of having one in many cycles."

Several cycles ago, she would have had to fight hard to suppress a snort at this ridiculous notion that this despicable man actually cared about having children; now she knew better. She allowed him to have his flights of fancy; it prevented him from getting angry with her if she enabled him to fantasize his desires.

"I wonder what he would look like." Naar wondered, still massaging her belly, "I would train that boy to grow up wise, powerful and strong like his father."

"Of course he would be." She acknowledged flatly.

Naar grinned at her agreement to his musings; he rolled over to his back staring up at the ceiling with her. He chuckled, "You know you can be more open with me. If I had wanted to kill you, I would have done so long ago."

"What would you have me say?" She asked petulantly.

Naar clasped his hands over his chest as he thought about it, "Tell me what desires you had…before the war. What did you wish for in life?"

This was a cruel joke, she thought, and he knew it. Asking her to tell him about things that no longer mattered; things that were beyond reach for anyone, especially her. This time she did smother heavily a snort at his preposterous question. It had been so long ago, she could barely remember a time when she wasn't with Naar. Trying to remember things that happened ages ago was like pulling away cobwebs in the dusty corners of her memory.

Giving in to his wicked pleasures, she morosely stated, "I had wanted to be married to someone my father resented. I wanted to grow up old with him and have many children. I know that is not going to happen now."

Naar was examining her with a critical eye as she spoke, "You wanted to be married? Would that truly make you happy?"

She finally turned her head to him, regarding his pupils carefully. What was he playing at? His face was dead serious. "What do you mean?" She was confused.

Naar was startlingly swift; he swung over her supple form and charged his still pulsing member into her flesh. She groaned in the sudden shock of his warmth invading her deep recesses. It was unusual however; he was being remarkably gentle, casually measuring his thrusts to a slow rhythm that she could grind to. She began pushing her hips up to meet each deliberate plunge; she had long since learned what he wanted in the bed, both when he was rough and when he was gentle. But what did he truly want right now?

Naar propped his upper body with a fist on either side of her, gazing down into her purple irises. "If that is what my lady desires, I can make that happen." Naar promised.

She blinked a few times; this was wholly unexpected, "I'm sorry?"

He sniggered as he continued his slow grind, "If a marriage is what you want, I can marry you. You will be my wife. You satisfy me like no other woman can!" At this, his pushes became faster in tempo.

Turning her head, she gazed over to the open tent flap; enjoying the slight breeze that filtered in from the cool night. It had been odd to her; they had captured the castle with the majority of it still intact. Yet they still had not fully moved in to enjoy the luxuries of its bedrooms, dining halls and other accommodations that went with it. She wagered it was the intimate familiarity of the road, of being in tents that kept Naar coming back to these trappings.

"You flatter me, Naar. I do not wish to burden you with such an extravagancy." She softly spoke.

"Nonsense!" His driving slowed down; she had stopped meeting him at each thrust. Realizing his displeasure, she raised her hips to initiate the rhythm again. Satisfied she would be obedient, he continued, "It is the least I can do to satisfy the woman whom I share my bed with. It is decided, I will make the arrangements to see us wed properly." Naar beamed at this brilliant idea.

"You are most gracious, Naar. I appreciate what you do for me." She had fallen back into her compartmentalized world. She could focus on the conversation if she ignored what was going on below her breasts.

He speared her welcoming folds as they sensually wrapped around his member, pulling him deeper with inviting caresses. Within moments he screamed in pleasure as another load shot into her depths; he jerked several more times before sagging over to the side. She gasped slightly as the cold air rushed in as he slipped out. Shivering slightly as she felt more of his seed coalescing with the growing pool beneath her; she kept her mind focused on the conversation at hand.

"You are truly a delightful creature." Naar murmured to himself.

"So what news of the south?" She questioned abruptly. There was no fear of him sharing his plans with her; she was a good sounding board for any ideas he had in mind for the campaign. He knew there was no one she could talk to and she kept all his secrets deep within the recesses of her mind. She had become something of a confidant of his; more so than his three commanders, whom he had begun trusting a little less of late.

Naar sighed, completely relaxed with how the night was going. He reached up and rested his head on his hands as he gazed back up at the ceiling of the tent. "None yet, Talamir and Timner have yet to return. I do not know why the supplies have dwindled. Something must have happened. I do not think it is bandits, although I cannot rule out that possibility."

"With an army this big, can you really, honestly, expect to supply them all for this long?" She offered her opinion.

Naar shrugged, "My intention was never to keep these men alive. We have no need for water or food anymore. If we die of starvation or dehydration, we simply are revived mere hours later. So what does it matter? The only thing left to us is the pleasures of the flesh; it's the one thing we can still enjoy." He smirked, "And killing, that also can be pleasurable."

One side of her lip rose up in disgust at his casual talk of the war, "Why did you send them? It is clear they can't get things done as you ask."

Naar huffed, "The road back to the capital is long, and it'll be at least a cycle before they return. All the more reason to send them there, gives me some peace and quiet for a time."

"Where is your other commander? The weird one?" She inquired.

Naar busted out laughing hard at her comment, "Oh…you can say that again! I don't know what is wrong with that man. If he wasn't so efficient at what he does, I probably would have had him killed out of spite. He is unusual, to say the least." His laughter slowly died down enough for him to continue, "I sent him off to the east several orbits ago. His goal was to find the Goron Ruby and bring it here. I do not envy that man right now, I absolutely abhor the cold."

She nodded absently. Indeed, the far eastern mountains of Xaagar were known to be some of the most frigid ranges in the entire kingdom. Constant blizzards and buffeting snow battered the craggy mountainsides; it was hazardous to even the most intrepid and skilled explorers. The Gorons has smartly chosen to hide deep in the halls of those frostbitten caverns that littered the rock. It would be an irritatingly annoying task to root them out and ultimately find the prize they were seeking.

"I do not worry about his success." Naar continued; unaware of her thoughts. "Unlike the idiot twins, I believe Thanan will pull through and claim what I seek. It has been a long time, but I believe we've finally found where the Gorons are specifically hiding."

"And what of my kinsmen?" She asked pensively.

Naar glanced over to her expressionless face; he was unclear as to the motive behind her question. He deigned to answer it regardless, "Like a pack of rats, they've scattered to safer ground. I have not been able to track them since that day." His fist clenched in wrath, she shied away in fear of being hit once again. Seeing her reaction, he released the tension and let his hand fall to the side. He gently fingered the folds of her silky fins that protruded from her arm.

"I am sorry." She offered.

"Bah!" Naar dismissed her apology, "We'll encircle them one of these days; it is only a matter of time. What infuriates me more is these blasted Gerudo; they have long since discovered how to kill us permanently. Their arrogant king has erected a barrier we can't hope to penetrate! They ultimately have to come out at some point or they'll die starving."

"They have been coming out." She let slip.

In an instant he was hovering over her, face inches away from hers. "What was that? How do you know this?"

She simpered at the thought of knowing more than he did. "Some of my scouts have sent back word to me that they are sending several teams of no more than three or four Gerudo at a time to bring back supplies every orbit."

It was over two cycles ago when Naar finally allowed her to roam about the camp unhindered. She had been broken in to the point she no longer wanted to escape; she knew it was fruitless and she would be hunted down like the dog she was. He had shrouded her in a body-length robe she could fasten at the neck; she draped the hood over her odd-shaped head to cover the features that might shock normal men.

Sweeping through the tents in her navy blue cloak, she was left alone by most of the lustful grunts present in the encampment. The few idiots who dared to cop a feel were sliced to ribbons by her sharpened fins that extended from both forearms and calves. One egregious man paid the ultimate price for quickly stuffing two fingers between her legs as she had walked past. She melted his face off completely with her viscous acid; she had grabbed another man by the face and poured her lethal venom down his throat in a deadly kiss. Both men never recovered and had to be burned to ashes.

A few more similar events occurred before the men ultimately decided it was not worth risking their very lives to feel up Naar's dark mistress. It was a term a few brutes had coined but it quickly spread throughout the encampment. Whenever she wandered through the campfires, they all gave her a wide berth and smartly chose not to engage her in anything but civil introductions.

In time, as she proved her loyalty to him in small matters, Naar began to trust her in more important tasks. He inevitably gave her command over a battalion of soldiers and pronounced her his fourth commander; much to the vexation of his other three. Naar had not allowed her to be sent out on missions like Thanan, Talamir and Timner; but with all three of them gone at the present, he seriously considered it.

"When did they see them leave?" Naar pressured.

She looked directly back into his eyes before answering, "Just this afternoon. It was a larger group than any previous. It appears they are doing more than just scavenging for supplies."

Naar rolled back over to her side, "Interesting." After a long period of silence, he began again, "Ruto, I want you to lead a contingent of assassins and track this group. If it is as you say, that their mission could be beyond scavenging, I want to know what it is."

It was Ruto's turn to rise up over Naar, this was wholly unexpected! "You mean it? You'll actually let me go to track this group down?"

Naar nodded, noting the look of intensity in her eyes. "If that is what you wish, yes. I trust you will not disappoint me; for when you get back, the preparations for our wedding should be complete. Come back victorious." He was taking a big risk here, but after seven cycles of being with this beautiful creature, he had formed some sort of twisted mutual trust with Ruto.

Eager to be on his good side, Ruto straddled his massive bulk and glided his engorged member back into her slippery fissure. Naar groaned with her unexpected turn of compliance; he gripped each of her cheeks as he gently pulled her lower body fully down onto his shaft. She grinned at his reaction, "I would be honored to lead this excursion. What would you have me do if they pose a threat to us?" Ruto asked.

Naar closed his eyes enjoying the sensations of her grinding, "Kill them all. Leave none alive."

Ruto nodded as she increased her pace, her scales softly slapping against his skin with the intensity of her effort. She was extremely excited about finally leaving the camp; not that she had any intention of escaping just to hide away. She knew Naar would have the assassins with her for insurance, if she stepped out of line for even an instant, he would order them to kill her. No, she wanted to leave for a different reason; she was hoping beyond hopes that Link could still be out there. Her true husband; that one, single thought kept her sane all these nights. She closed her eyes blissfully as she imagined Naar being someone else; her body rocking hard against his.

Naar bucked his hips into her as he reached his third climax that evening. She splayed over him exhausted as he gazed up into her eyes. "You are one, magnificent creature Ruto…my dark mistress."

"I know." Ruto intoned, her mind lost in thought.


	33. Chapter 32 - A Night Under the Stars

- **CHAPTER 32 – A Night Under the Stars**

It was dark by the time they reached the desert colossus. It was unknown how long the monolith had stood at the edge of the desert; guarding the realm from an unseen menace. The Gerudo had made pilgrimages yearly to worship the Goddesses and perform rituals to increase their crops, fertility or anything else they needed assistance with. The loathsome Kotake and Koume presided over these gatherings and made their residence within the temple.

The colossus had been carved with meticulous detail into the immense pillar of stone; it was shaped into a woman sitting cross-legged with her arms outstretched with palms upwards welcoming all who came to her. The carcass of a snake draped over her head as its tail meandered down her torso covering her left breast, leaving the other bare to the elements. Link and the group had to stop briefly to admire the impressive sight; it simply took Malon's breath away at its sheer magnitude.

Despite the initial cursing and complaining of Apolloni over Malon's inclusion into their expedition, she ultimately had to concede that the girl's skills were acceptable. Leevers were a prevalent hazard in these shifting sands; malignant plants that emerged from the soil with thorns adorning their bodies like a crown. They preferred to attack in groups and encircle their victims before slicing them to shreds with their sharp spikes. Some Hylian scientists had made the theory that they were an offshoot of the Peahat and that they could even be related by genus. Malon had proven her mettle to stand with the rest of the women as she plunged her spear deep into the quivering mass of leaves and thorns.

Apolloni surveyed the scene as she gazed down across the sands before the colossus; she spied an escarpment with a visible path that scaled its heights. She nodded her head as she pointed in the direction of their destination. Leaping down off the rocky knoll they had decided to rest on for a time, they followed their navigator towards the far crag. They carefully rationed the water canteens between the seven of them; especially now that they had an additional person to account for in their supplies.

Within the hour they were almost upon the steep pathway that would lead them up and over into the marshlands. A tinkling of rock alerted Zelda's attention to the ledge above them; she thought she saw some shadows against the clear night sky before they darted out of sight. She surged ahead to the front of the group to warn Apolloni of the possible threat.

Without even looking up where Zander was pointing, Apolloni spoke with some irritation, "Yes, I've known we were being followed since before we came to the desert colossus. We are being tracked."

Zelda questioned fearfully, "Why are they not attacking?"

Apolloni shrugged before hefting herself onto the rock face, searching purchase for her limbs, "I've no idea. They are probably only there to keep tabs on us. If they were a threat, they would have attacked by now. Now get climbing."

Sweat rolled off their bodies in waves as they slowly scrabbled up the treacherous cliff face. Several times Zelda or Malon lost their footing or missed a precious handhold and nearly fell several hundred feet to almost certain death, if not incapacitation. It seemed like hours before they finally heaved themselves over the ledge and onto flatter ground.

Apolloni was impatiently tapping her foot as Link, Zelda and Malon attempted to recover from the arduous climb. They had trained for combat, not for acrobatics up steep mountains. The other three women merely smirked at their exhaustion. At length, she finally decided to set up camp a bit further up the sloped path underneath an overhang; with their backs to the rock wall, they could view the environs from a place of strategic comfort.

They quickly erected the two tents and placed them towards the back of the overhang. The three Gerudo warriors had instigated a fire from the scant pieces of wood they were able to find in the local area; it was crackling heartily by the time they settled down near its heat. Malon and Zelda sat on either side of Link; more for comfort than anything else, they hardly knew the other four women. Aveil, Lorva and Merin looked at Link and Zander in longing but dared not sit any closer to the trio for fear of Apolloni's wrath; they opted to sit closer to their leader directly opposite Link and the others past the fire.

Uncomfortable with the pervading silence, Zelda offered to make conversation with their escorts, "So what is the story behind that structure?" She asked, turning briefly around to get a glimpse of its gargantuan silhouette.

Merin looked briefly at Apolloni trying to read her inscrutable face; after receiving no confirmation either way, she turned to three youths and began to explain, "That colossus has been there since before any of the Gerudo can remember. It has served as a holy place of worship; every 500 years, the current ruler of the Gerudo selects two special elders to serve as loyal stewards of our traditions and practices. They are brought here and learn the secret arts of magick, divination and many other mystical powers. Kotake and Koume have been the loyal servants of the Goddesses for the past 400 years."

Malon whispered quietly to Link out of the corner of her mouth, "Something tells me they have been serving more than just the Goddesses."

Link snickered at her comment before being cut short by Merin, "What was that?"

He shook his head briskly, "Nothing. Continue please." He perched an elbow on his leg and rested his head in his palm, leaning forward feigning great interest.

Lorva shot Malon a dirty look as Merin haltingly continued, "We travel there once a cycle to sing, dance and praise the Goddesses for the coming harvest, among other things. The two caretakers of the temple usually come out as a medium between us and the Goddesses, to tell us what we should do for the coming cycle."

Link picked up on a quick dodge on Merin's part, "Among other things?" He inquired further.

Merin stuttered, "Well…we…er…"

"We have big orgies." Apolloni blurted out coolly.

Zelda spit her current mouthful of jerky at the fire, making it hiss and spit. Malon and Link's faces went pale at the subject. Zelda spluttered, "You…what? In the open? With only women?"

Aveil flashed a devious grin as she crawled past the campfire to sidle up next to Zelda, gently stroking her arm with her fingers. Zelda's eyes bulged at the hunger in Aveil's eyes, "Oh, you like that idea Zander? We do bring men we've captured to the yearly celebration and pass them around like cattle; it is utterly delicious." Aveil licked her lips as she inched closer to Zelda's face. Zelda quickly grasped Link's hand tightly in hers; an action not lost on Aveil. "Not to worry, with just you two strapping men, we can have the yearly orgy right here and now!"

Without permission or reason to hold back, Lorva and Merin crept over to Link and Zander. The three of them began fondling the smooth male bodies of the group; each woman yearning for what lay beyond the clothes covering their nude forms. Malon started up indignantly as she attempted to pull Merin off of Link.

"They're not just some cattle to pass around like trash! They have feelings too!" Malon exclaimed. She knew the reasoning was shallow, but her mind was jumbled with visions of seeing her two friends being physically assaulted.

Merin swiftly turned to Malon; quickly knocking her to the ground, tongues locked in a one-sided passionate kiss. Merin disentangled herself from the struggling girl to gutturally whisper, "If you're feeling left out, you can have me tonight. I don't mind being with another woman."

"That's not what I mea-" Malon's protest was cut short as her mouth was assailed by Merin's lips; her tongue quickly sifted in with impunity. Malon could do nothing but struggle against the woman's stronger physique.

With Apolloni doing little but sitting alongside the fire; knees up to her chin watching the whole spectacle, it was open season on the three youth. Lorva surged her hands into Link's ivory robe as she massaged his muscular abs. Aveil began smothering Zander with her salty kisses; trailing her lips along his neck down to the chest.

The women's appetites were rapacious; they had not had physical relations with men in many cycles. Their inner urges overcame their senses as they sought to tear the clothes off their squirming victims. Zelda was panicking; she felt Aveil slowly weed her invasive hands towards her crotch. It would be only a matter of time before she couldn't keep the stealth haze active any longer.

"Link!" Zelda managed to cry in-between attacks on her mouth.

Link twisted his head away from the vagarious Lorva to see Zelda's face flickering between Zander and her true face. She was struggling to maintain concentration amid the confusion of having someone violate her in such an intimate fashion. A sharp click of Apolloni's fingers snapped Lorva and Aveil out of their sexual reverie; they look at her dazed, unsure of why she wanted them to stop.

"Merin, stop!" Apolloni ordered as she noted the two still going at it.

Breathing heavily, Link turned to Malon and was shocked to see she was clinging onto Merin, passionately returning the kiss with fervor. Apolloni's commands grew louder and impatient as they continued to slather over each other; Malon's legs were already draped over the woman's hips.

Zelda tentatively tried to get Malon's attention, "Um…Malon?"

Malon opened her eyes, unaware of where she was or how she got there. She blinked twice before looking at Merin above her; their eyes lost in a sexual haze. Malon unconsciously moved her mouth closer before seeing Merin ripped away from her. Apolloni grasped the back of Merin's robe and threw her to the ground; shattering her mood.

"Merin, you stupid woman!" Apolloni kicked the Gerudo hard in the stomach, causing her to buckle over into a fetal position in pain. "You stop when I command you to!" She turned to glare at the other two; they both visibly shrank from her ire. "This is not what we are here for! We are not a pack of wild dogs in heat! All of you get into my tent, now! We are retiring for the night!"

The three Gerudo quickly fumbled over to their tent and quietly slipped in through the flap. Malon shakily got up before attempting to head over to the Gerudo tent; Apolloni quickly placed an arm in her path.

"Where do you think you are going, wretch?" Apolloni spat with acrimony.

Bewildered, Malon looked into Apolloni's seething eyes, "You want me to bed in the tent with the boys?" She asked oddly.

"That is not my concern. You are simply not going to be sleeping with any of us." With a shove, she pushed Malon onto her rump. She gently massaged her backside, as tears slowly began to form in her eyes. Apolloni exhaled in disgust at this display of weakness, "Suck it up you wench! This is not the first time you've been hurt. Either sleep with the boys or sleep outside, I don't care."

Apolloni turned on her heel to join her fellow Gerudo before stopping just short of Zander, she turned her head to look down on the youth, "Besides, I think you'll be in the majority in that tent." Without another word, she continued walking. With a swish of fabric, she was gone.

Zelda's heart went cold at the allegation Apolloni left them with; did she see through the disguise while Aveil was on top of her? She swiveled to Link who was also thinking the same thing. Malon crawled over on her hands and knees before plopping down next to Zelda; a slightly pensive look displayed over her features. Malon's attention was split between the two, confused as to what they were alarmed about.

"What's going on?" Malon asked.

Link turned to her to stare a few moments before recomposing himself, "Uh…I think Apolloni saw through Zelda's disguise." He whispered.

Malon's mouth shot open as her face pivoted to Zelda, "When did it happen?"

Zelda dipped her head in shame, "I…I think it was when she was…feeling me down there." She gasped slightly at the appalling nature of it; Malon nudged closer to Zelda and placed a comforting hand around her shoulders. Zelda immediately turned into Malon's shoulder and began weeping bitterly, staining her clothes with tears. "I couldn't keep the spell up fully…it was too distracting." Zelda continued muffled into Malon's armpit.

Malon embraced Zelda fully as she stroked her blond hair to soothe her angst; she looked over at Link in despair, she had no idea how she could comfort Zelda any further. Link shrugged but made a signal that she was doing a good job and should just be there for her. Within minutes Zelda had exhausted her humiliation and settled down sufficiently so that she could attend to the matters at hand.

"We have to get ready for bed." Zelda sniffed, moving away from Malon as she wiped away her tears.

They were at the threshold of the tent when they noticed Link was not following them. Malon turned to him curiously, "Aren't you coming in to sleep?"

Link gave her that special smile of his, "You know that wouldn't be appropriate." He nodded in Zelda's general direction.

Zelda huffed, "Like that ever stopped us from sharing the same room for over seven cycles."

Malon had to agree with Zelda, "Yeah…you shared a room with her. What's the difference now?"

Link's face screwed up weirdly at her ridiculous suggestion, "Well, there's two of you now."

"So?" Malon persisted.

"So…I shared a room to keep up the ruse." Link softly spoke.

"Well, aren't we doing the same thing here?" Zelda probed.

"True, I could go into that tent with you to maintain the ruse, but then that would leave her outside." He gestured towards Malon.

It finally dawned on Zelda what he was getting at. "I see. Well there seems to be one solution to this whole mess." She turned to Malon and gently prodded her inside the tent, "You take the tent and we two boys will sleep under the stars."

"Like heck you will! We'll all sleep outside then!" Malon surged past Zelda before she could protest. With a running leap, she skidded next to Link who looked genuinely surprised at her decision.

"So it's a real camp out then?" Link offered; eyebrow rising in disbelief.

Zelda shook her head at the whole situation, "Looks like you'll be having company tonight then Link." It was useless to argue with Malon once she had decided to do something.

Link grinned as he took his bedroll and expanded it out next to the rock wall; utilizing his pack as a makeshift pillow, he pounded it into a form that seemed like it would be comfortable to rest his head on. The two girls followed suit and set up their bedrolls in the same fashion; one on each side of Link's sleeping space. Lacking any real spot to ultimately change into their sleeping clothes, they opted to just slip into their bags and get comfortable.

Within minutes, the girls had rolled their bags against Link's furnace of a body. "Why must you be so warm all the time Link?" Malon complained.

Link fidgeted awkwardly as he moved his body in-between the two girls who were crushing against him, vying for his warmth. "Hey! You two stop it. I'm trying to get comfortable here!"

"So are we!" Zelda argued; she snuggled closer to Link, suddenly feeling quite cold as the night breeze ruffled the fabrics of their bedrolls.

At length they finally settled into some semblance of order; the girls practically clinging onto him through their bedrolls, basking in the radiating heat from his body. "Are you two quite done?" Link sighed annoyed.

"No." Malon stated.

"But this will suffice." Zelda confirmed.

Link groaned in frustration at the two indecisive women; couldn't they just fall asleep as soon as their head hit their pillows like normal Hylians do? After what seemed like hours, he could finally hear the two of them softly snoring next to him. He smiled as his thoughts wandered; surrounding by two of his best friends, he felt he had little to fear of the future. In time, his eyes started to droop; he was gone.

They made quite the sight to see the next morning; the three of them were all crammed into Link's sleeping bag.


	34. Chapter 33 - Contemplations on Existence

_This chapter was a bit harder to write than normal; I didn't have a clear idea in my head at the outset how the beating of Talon would effect the rest of the characters who were left behind. After some deliberation, I believe I came to the optimal resolution to the entire affair and jumpstart character arcs that will linger on even into act 3. I'm also laying down hints and foreshadowings for future events in this chapter; lots of stuff to keep track of! Enjoy!_

- **CHAPTER 33 – Contemplations on Existence**

Saria lay draped over the strapping mare, her cheeks pressed into the horse's neck as she gently swirled the fur between her fingers. Epona agreeably endured the slender body resting across her back; so gratified was she filling her belly with the fresh hay that the Gerudo caretaker had brought in that morning. With nothing else of his to truly take comfort in, Saria was content to hang out with his horse; the one thing that reminded her of him.

Ever since that horrid day earlier in the week, Saria cut herself off from the majority of the Gerudo. She refused to get anywhere near Ganondorf or anyone from his entourage of supporters; especially the elders. Nabooru had come around a few times to see if there was anything she needed but Saria simply ignored her. She didn't want to deal with anyone; she was too hurt at the whole situation.

They had cut Talon down the next day from the whipping post; he was dehydrated and near delirium when they placed him in the medic quarters. To add insult to injury, Ganondorf forbade Nabooru from visiting him these past few moons. She was free to roam the compound as she saw fit, but eyes were everywhere watching her movements closely. It was clear that she was no longer the trusted elder within Ganondorf's inner circle. She had stumbled onto one of their council meetings one day realizing she had been uninvited.

"What is all this?" Nabooru demanded, voice rising in alarm.

Before her, were the remaining four elders communicating with Ganondorf; who was sitting casually across his throne, carelessly swirling a glass of wine in his hand. She had not felt the summons from within her ruby for days; he was communicating with the others without relaying his thoughts through her. It was evident they were being secretive about their meeting when she did not detect voices before she barged into the council chamber; they were communicating only through the rubies.

Ganondorf turned his head to face Nabooru; a look of disregard plainly written across his face. "With all you have been through Nabooru, I did not feel it pertinent to trouble you with these matters."

She repeated him with incredulity, "Did not feel it pertinent? What matters need addressing?"

Sipping down a swig of the wine, Ganondorf licked his lips before responding, "It does not concern you right now Nabooru. Until such time you can prove to me your loyalty, I cannot have you take part in any decisions that affect the outcome of our people."

Nabooru stood rooted to the spot as she looked at each of the elders in turn; although their backs were facing her, they each were glaring over their shoulders. Stunned by the vehemence in their eyes, Nabooru felt truly alone in her own home. Did no one trust her anymore? Was there truly no support?

"I am an elder of the Gerudo people." Nabooru stated with a slight tremor in her voice. "My objective has always been to the-"

Ganondorf quickly raised a hand to silence her, "I suggest you not complete that sentence Nabooru. You should leave, now." His voice was soft, but his tone was intense. His eyes bored into Nabooru's daring her to contravene; she did not disappoint.

"This is ridiculous! I will not stand-" Nabooru's outrage was cut short as she screamed in agony; she stumbled to her knees clutching her ruby in her hands as Ganondorf pierced her mind with the force of a thousand daggers. With a raised hand, he blasted her across the floor; smashing into the opposite wall knocking several hanging pots to the ground, shattering their contents upon the rock. Ganondorf calmly paced over to her struggling form as he steered her body up the wall to eye level.

"You have one final warning Nabooru." Ganondorf threatened, mere inches from her face. She could barely concentrate on his words at the intense pain splitting her brain open. "You disobey me or do something to displease me in any way, I will have you executed. You can be replaced. Do not forget that."

Releasing her from the vicious energies coursing through her; Nabooru dropped to the floor whimpering from the assault. Ganondorf did little to assist her out the door; resuming his position back on his throne, he continued the intense deliberation with his remaining elders. Nabooru staggered back to her room crying the entire way; she hadn't seen him since that confrontation. Saria recalled that being the day before yesterday; she had observed the entire scene from out in the hallway. She hadn't the courage to stop Ganondorf. She thought she could change him; now she wasn't so sure.

Saria continued to stroke Epona's flank; enjoying the rippling muscles underneath the fur. Relaxing in the warmth from the brown mare, she recalled her final moments with Link. She closed her eyes and remembered their final embrace. Her memory of it was so vivid that she sometimes would mistake it as happening the day prior. With no one else to really turn to, she felt as alone as Nabooru; her only friends being Epona and Harden.

Both horses had grown into fine steeds; Epona's legs had fully healed and her splints were removed in the first cycle since coming to live with the Gerudo. Although there were only scars to show for the injuries that were inflicted upon her, she would always have a slight limp to her gait as she walked. That would be something that would never go away.

Harden had also developed into beautiful brown stallion; he was an energetic beast who loved to play. He would always want to bolt around the compound whenever they went to ride him. He loved the feeling of the wind in his mane as he galloped laps around the upper archery range overlooking the fortress. His friskiness also got him in trouble with Epona; during her times of month he would get agitated and try to mount her. She would have none of it and would quickly buck and bite him off.

Saria smiled at the memory of Malon trying to encourage the process; she spent half a day talking to Epona on how it was important to continue her species. The mare listened with amazing restraint, giving the girl her undivided attention. Just when Malon thought Epona finally understood what was expected of her, when the time finally came for the mating, she'd chase Harden clear out of the stable nipping at his hooves. In the end, they gave up trying to breed the horses and just let them be content to enjoying the single life.

"You can come out now." Saria blurted out to no one in particular. She shifted her head so she rested her opposite cheek against Epona, watching calmly as Impa stepped out from the shadows.

"How did you know I was there child?" Impa smiled as she glided up to Epona; gently stroking her neck; Epona nickered in greeting before resuming her delicious meal.

Saria shrugged as she continued to sift the fur between her fingers, "I can feel the energies of those around me." She briefly pointed to the spot where Impa emerged from, "I could feel your heartbeat resting over there."

"Extraordinary." Impa breathed as she continued rubbing Epona. "What other things can you do that you aren't telling us?" She questioned.

Saria continued to lay across Epona's back; she remained silent for a time before answering quietly. "I don't know. Sometimes I'm not sure myself if I'm a Kokiri anymore. I have all these strange thoughts swirling about in my head that I've never had before. Sometimes I feel like I'm not even myself."

_You stop that silly talk right now Saria! You are a Kokiri, born and bred. That will never change!_ Sora admonished her.

"But I was…once. I don't think it is who I am anymore. I'm…something different altogether." Saria seemed quite miserable. Impa chose to remain silent and let Saria argue with the fairy's voice inside her mind.

_What are you worried about becoming? As long as you have me with you, you'll never have to fear anything! I'll make sure you don't go doing stupid things!_ Sora encouraged.

"I'm scared of never growing old; of seeing all the people I love wither away and die around me. I'm afraid of never being treated for the adult I am; of people judging me based on my appearance. I've lived a longer life than anyone living here!" Saria exclaimed.

"I beg to differ, young one." Impa murmured.

Saria shot her a scathing look at Impa's interruption before resuming her talk with Sora, "I'm anxious that I'll never experience events that most adults do during their lifetimes. Things were so much simpler when we lived with the Deku Tree; all my friends were with me and we never had to worry about growing old or dying. Now that I could very well be the last Kokiri left alive, how am I to go on?" Saria began to weep bitterly.

Sora's voice in her head was silent; there was no answer left to give to her troubled thoughts. Impa moved to comfort the poor Kokiri by placing a tender hand on her back. Saria's reaction was violently unexpected; she smacked Impa's arm away as she leaped down quickly from the horse, startling Epona in the process. She floated to the ground and began walking away from the stall.

"Just leave me alone!" Saria screamed.

Harden looked up from his rest as she stormed past his booth; confused but unwilling to leave his comfortable position, he rested his head back down. Impa chose to follow the fuming Kokiri at a distance as she stalked outside the stables into the night. She followed the girl down the hill towards the portcullis at the western edge of the compound. Saria slumped down to the sand next to the bloody post that had been Talon's punishment; she drew her knees up and buried her face into her arms howling with despair. Impa's heart broke as she looked upon Saria's pitiful form; wings wrapped around her like a shawl.

Impa scanned the area to make sure there were no guards being attracted to her wailings before kneeling next to the Kokiri. "What is it you want most Saria?" Impa probed with honest sincerity.

Stifling her ragged sobs, she composed herself enough to respond, "I just want someone to love me; someone who will never go away or die! I had once thought Link would be my best friend forever, but he is growing older and will soon leave me." Saria made a sweeping motion with her hand. "Like everyone else does."

Sweeping back her tatty locks, Impa sat down next to the Kokiri; she did not offer physical comfort, she learned her lesson the first time around. "We all eventually die Saria. It is a natural part of life." Impa explained.

Saria derided, "Ha! Except me. I must be unnatural! We were told by the great Deku Tree that we would wither away and die if we were to leave the forest. Now that Sora is with me, I am unable to die normally. I might as well go throw myself onto a sword and end it all!"

Impa pivoted her head to Saria in stunned silence; just what emotional damage had been done to this girl by Ganondorf's beating of Talon? What innocents have lost their internal drive for happiness because of this dreadful war? She could see Saria slowly falling into a vicious spiral of anguish and hopelessness; if it was not reversed soon, she feared the worst for her young friend.

_You don't mean that Saria! Link will come back and it'll be all right. You'll see!_ Sora intoned desperately in Saria's head.

"Just shut up!" Saria yelled at her inner voice, wishing she could escape from Sora for even just a little while.

Impa knew very little about the Kokiri race; her limited experiences had been during the great war with Nevachrea decades ago. Escorting Link's mother to her final resting place, she had encountered the enigmatic children. After leaving Link in their capable hands, she took it upon herself to research everything she could find that was recorded on the Kokiri. Even the vast libraries of Hyrule revealed little of value. There was one passage however, that sprang to Impa's mind that might help this poor girl.

Impa suggested in a motherly tone, "What if I told you that there might be some way to keep a part of Link with you forever?"

Saria lifted one of her wings so she could look at Impa, "Are you serious?" She asked skeptically.

Impa beamed affectionately at her, "I can't say with certainty, but I believe there may be a way."

Eager to discover the knowledge that Impa held, Saria crawled into her lap and looked longingly into her eyes. "So how do we make him stay forever?" She asked elatedly.

Impa wasn't exactly sure how she should relate the idea across to her, "Well, it involves procreation."

Saria's wings wilted at the thought, "I don't think that would work so well. Besides he thinks the idea of it weird."

Impa laughed softly, "No child. Not in a physical sense. I recall reading something about the fairies of the Kokiri being the main elements of the process."

_Say what?!_ Sora yelled.

Cringing at the loud voice booming in her head, Saria asked with some confusion, "I don't follow Impa. How does someone like me have kids?" The thought hadn't really occurred to her; it wasn't as outlandish thinking about it as she thought it might be.

"Well," Impa began reticently, "I was hoping Sora might enlighten us on that subject more than I could."

"Sora? Do you know what she is talking about?" Saria said to herself.

_I haven't the foggiest! I think she is plain nuts. I mean, will you look at that hair!?_ Sora mocked.

Saria giggled, "Yeah, her hair is pretty shabby!" Impa frowned at the potential insults Sora was chucking her way. Saria saw the look and waved a hand to dismiss her disapproval, "No, she is just teasing you Impa. Sora has no idea what you are talking about." Saria confirmed.

"Is she positive she knows nothing about this?" Impa pressed, she was hoping that all fairies of the Kokiri would at least know of this.

_Tell her I'm serious. I haven't a clue about how we help you have babies! A Kokiri hasn't been born to the woods in centuries!_ Sora said with unwavering confidence.

"So then I really am the last of my kind." Saria's countenance fell.

Impa could deduce Sora's response by Saria's expression. She pulled the Kokiri into an embrace; Saria did not resist and let the Sheikah's arms envelope her quivering body. Placing her cheek on her green hair, Impa whispered, "I'm so sorry, I was hoping beyond hopes that it would have been possible." A tear dribbled down her face.

"It's okay." Saria said trying to sound merry, "I know you were just trying to cheer me up. Thank you for that, at least."

"Anything for you child." Impa crooned as she patted the Kokiri's hair.

At length they parted as Saria looked up into Impa's purple eyes, "I have to get to sleep now. Ganondorf always checks my room each night to make sure I'm in bed safely." She sighed.

"He still cares for you?" Impa asked inquisitively.

Saria nodded her head, "Why does he have to be so mean? He's always so gentle with me, why can't he be that way to my friends?"

"I do not know. I sincerely hope your presence can influence things for the better, but do not trust he will change just for you." Impa warned.

Saria smiled as she left Impa's lap and headed back to the fortress; she turned around to wave goodbye but beheld nothing but the shadows along the brick wall. Slightly despondent at her absence, Saria turned around and trudged to her quarters. Unbeknownst to the two of them, two pairs of eyes had been watching the entire conversation from above the grand gate. A shimmer of the air revealed their presence as the spell lifted.

"Ho ho ho, I thought there was a rat slinking around the fortress!" Kotake cackled.

"He he he, I felt her presence for so many cycles, but could not prove her existence!" Koume chortled.

Kotake walked over to the edge and looked down at the sands, hoping to spy where the Sheikah had slunk off to, "I do not see her anymore sister. She has given us the slip yet again." Kotake whined.

"Quit your moaning! She will make a mistake in time and then we'll have her!" Koume crowed jovially.

Kotake summoned her broom with a flourish into her hand, "Shall we report this to our lord, Ganondorf?"

Koume brandished her broom between her legs as she began floating off the ground, "I should think not. He has enough on his plate already."

Kotake tapped a finger to her jutting chin, "You may be right sister. He needn't be bothered with such petty annoyances."

"Let us fly then and enjoy the night!" Koume squawked.

They flew directly at the barrier, both arms outstretched as they blasted a hole through the aura. They sailed past the malicious energy as the gap sealed itself whole in their wake. They screeched in glee, twirling through the air on their brooms; soaring off into the crisp, cool night.

Ganondorf emerged from the shadows of a doorway as he regarded the witches slowly dwindling on the horizon; they were planning something. They had blocked telepathic communication with him for a reason; he just had to figure out why. With a huff, he spun around and entered the corridor; he wandered the passage deep in thought as he made his way to Saria's room for his nightly rounds.


	35. Chapter 34 - Enter the Cyn'Taak

- **CHAPTER 34 – Enter the Cyn'Taak**

It was absolutely miserable; Zelda surged up from the muck spluttering as she spit out the vile sludge from her mouth. Loose footholds and sudden drops in the murky water of the Negev Marshlands caused many of them to stumble and fall face first into the filthy water. The group had been slogging through the swamps for the better part of two days after descending from the ridge bordering the desert. The stagnant air was sweltering, making clothes stick to their bodies and their skins perspire copiously.

The worst part was the flies; as big as their fingers and swarming them like they were dead carcasses. Malon erratically flung her arms through the air as they continually bit her to pieces; she even yelped a few times as their bites hurt something fierce. Apolloni cuffed her several times ordering her to be quiet; she feared that Malon was attracting far too much attention to the group.

"Will you quit your bawling?! You want to have the entire swamp brought down upon us?" Apolloni hissed.

Malon sniffed as she brushed off a nipping fly, "I can't help it! They won't leave me alone."

Merin licked her lips, "It's your sweet blood, honey."

"Shut it." Link ordered, irritated at the whole situation.

"You don't talk to her like that!" Aveil stomped up to him, affronted at his cheekiness.

"We're in this together. Let's just get through these awful swamps." Zander offered peaceably.

"Agreed. Now get a move on!" Apolloni growled.

"Says the person who denies her tent to anyone but her own kind!" Link snapped.

Apolloni stomped up to Link, splashing Lorva in the process with each step, "You want to say that again to my face?" Her voice seethed.

"Gladly." Link puffed up, taking on the challenge. "This entire trip, you have been an incorrigible tyrant. You've put Malon down constantly despite the fact she's held her own in several battles already!" Link gestured to Malon, who was currently busy swatting the flies to truly appreciate the compliment.

"And you have a liar in your midst." Apolloni fired back. Leveling her gaze at Zelda, she pointed in her direction, virulence spitting from her mouth. "That man is a female! I saw her the moment her disguise failed! Just what is it you are hiding from?"

Within moments, Zelda dropped the guise; there was simply no reason to maintain it any longer. If the other Gerudo were shocked at the revelation, they did not show it. "How is this relevant to the issue at hand, which is your bad attitude?" Zelda snorted in contempt.

Apolloni backhanded her across the face; Zelda sailed into the water with a splash at the force of the blow. Within moments Link's sword was out and aimed directly at Apolloni's neck, a bead of blood caressing its tip. The other Gerudo immediately sprung onto Malon and Zelda; their scimitars at the ready, eager to slice them from ear to ear. Malon deftly dodged the first swing; she swung around while unslinging the spear from her back. Doing her best to ignore the teeming flies, she held her ground against the two Gerudo before her; each one looking for a weakness in her defense.

Apolloni assessed the situation with her eyes; a slow, raucous laugh began to emerge from her throat. She sneered, "It looks like we are at a stalemate, my dear boy. What will you do now? You know if you kill me, they will die as well."

Link called her bluff, "I don't care. At least you'll be dead." He stated flatly.

The barking of frogs and crickets were the only sounds heard for several moments; his response was clearly not what Apolloni was expecting. She wanted him to back down. He still held the upper hand with regards to her life. Did he not value his friend's lives? Was he simply conning? What was his game?

"Drop your weapon and I'll see to it that no harm will come to your…two females." Apolloni churned, placing deliberate emphasis on the last two words. Her eyes filled with hate as she stared into Link's, awaiting his ultimate decision.

Link simply twisted the sword lightly into her neck, sending stinging pain down her throat. "I think not Apolloni. Your women release them first; then we'll talk." Link pressed calmly.

She was furious but at a signal, the other women backed down from Malon; Lorva helped Zelda back onto her feet as they looked on to see what Link would do. Malon breathed a sigh of relief but continued to hold her spear at the ready; she did not trust these Gerudo. At length, he withdrew the sword, allowing Apolloni to feel her prick of a wound; spiteful rage was evident in her eyes, but Link cared less what she thought of him.

It was clear Apolloni was considering another assault when a quick splash from the water near them alerted the group to the rustling in the trees. The Gerudo's eyes got wider as the crackling of branches grew louder. She hastily ordered the entire group to dive into the nearby shrubbery to hide; Zelda leaped into the closest scrub along with Malon and Merin. Link dove into the larger bush with the other three Gerudo.

Within moments, the shaking of the branches stopped just above their heads. Two pairs of scaly feet slammed to the ground within inches of their faces; looking out through the brush, they saw two hulking beasts unlike any they had ever seen. The most notable feature beyond their slick sheen of greenish-blue scales was their scorpion-like tail. It's piercing barb casually shifting back and forth across the moss covered ground. Along the length of their spines was a matted mane of red fur that hung over their sides haphazardly; trailing up over their hunchbacked shoulders down onto their heads. They had rows of razor sharp teeth jutting out at awkward angles from their crocodile-like snouts.

"Wat 'ave we 'ere? Som' tas'y mors'l?" Its deep voice boomed out, jolting the group at its surprising vibrato. The creature would have sounded so ridiculous if it wasn't so deadly looking; none dared laugh at its ludicrous voice. The hulking creature grasped the limp body in its massive, clawed fists; Link could see that the corpse was a Zora. He hadn't even noticed the body lying by the edge of the water during their heated argument.

"Ey ya! 'Ou 'et me 'ave som' too!" The second creature snarled at its partner. A raging war erupted between the two behemoths as they began to yank on the cadaver, each wanting their fair share of the meat. With a roaring cry, the Zora was ripped in two with a sickening splatter; brownish blood spurted across the ground as unidentifiable flesh and viscera flew in multiple directions.

"Wat 'ou do 'at f'r?" The left one snapped, viscid saliva dribbling over its gaping maw; its tail rigid and poised to strike the offender of its meal.

"I solv' 'ur prob'm! 'Ow we 'ave two 'ieces!" The right beast laughed; an odd, guttural, belching sound that resonated deep within its throat. It was almost disgusting to listen to.

Apparently satisfied with that answer, both creatures ripped into their halves of the carcass; rending flesh from bone and sinew as they gulped down portions of the Zora in whole pieces. Strips of hanging flesh hung loose about their jowls; looking at the blood slathered over their faces as they relished their fresh meal, Zelda began to feel nauseous but couldn't bring herself to look away. Everyone was deathly still; making every possible effort to remain quiet. Every muscle in their bodies were beginning to feel sore at the tension coursing through them; so rigid they were lying flush on the damp ground, the moisture soaking their clothes.

The crunching of bone was what set Malon off finally; a low whimper escaped her lips before Merin immediately slapped an arm over her mouth. Link's gaze flicked over to her as Merin tried to force the girl to remain calm; it was too late, the beast nearest to their shrub had ceased twitching its deadly tail. Cradling the rest of its meat in one hand, it raised its snout into the air sniffing heavily. The other creature stopped munching on the remainder of the spine as it noticed its partner's reaction.

"Wha' 'appen'g 'ow?" The creature quaked in annoyance at the disruption of its meal.

A deep, rumbling growl filtered up through the second creature as it started looking around, "I 'ought I 'eard 'ome'hing." It continued sniffing the air again.

Beads of sweat were trailing down Merin's face as she forcefully smothered Malon's body with her own; hell bent on keeping her both quiet and still. The behemoth began turning to inspect the nearby shrubbery; it scraped its claws through the branches as twigs and leaves drifted down onto the group's prone bodies. Its beady eyes were sifting through the tangled mass of verdures, unable to see through to the ground.

With the speed of an arrow sailing through the air, the creature jerked its upper body towards to the ground as its whip-like tail slashed through the brush. The poisonous barb punctured the dirt a foot away from Zelda's elbow; she was terrified beyond belief, she didn't feel like she could move even if she wanted to. Within seconds, the tail retracted out of the shrub as a lone bullfrog bounded out of the undergrowth. Merin grunted softly as Malon bit hard into her palm; her mind in a state of utter panic.

"Wat we 'ave 'ere? My fav'rit' 'ish!" The beast looked upon the frog with delight. Both creatures sprung for the hapless amphibian, each intent on claiming the snack for themselves. They crashed into the brush nearly trampling Zelda; Merin quickly released Malon briefly as she yanked Zelda by the collar over to her as the two scaly bodies crunched into the brush. Without missing a beat, she clapped her hand back over Malon's mouth as she opened it to scream.

The small yelp went unnoticed as the two behemoths snarled and snapped at each other; rolling through the underbrush with impunity, oblivious to the fact that the bullfrog had managed to leap into the water and escape. Apolloni aggressively signaled Merin to transfer bushes; Merin grabbed Malon tight and rolled with her quickly through the open. Zelda frantically scrambled after them as they dove into the larger scrub. Their original hiding place was crushed under the colossal weight of the warring monsters; rolling and growling at each other, their tails viciously striking both air and ground.

One beast eventually got the upper hand and overturned the opponent onto its back; it slammed its gaping jaws tightly over the windpipe, teeth sinking deep into the scaly epidermis drawing greenish plasma. The floundering creature thrashed under the crushing weight of its partner as it twisted its head to look directly at Link through the underbrush. This movement proved to be fatal for the repulsive beast; its large eyes bulged as it endeavored to alert its attacker of their presence.

With one, swift, ripping yank, the conquering behemoth shredded the entire throat; rending off a gargantuan chunk of bloodied meat before gulping it whole. The losing beast twitched spastically as it gurgled on its own frothing blood; the victor quickly dunked its snout directly into the gaping hole in the neck and began drinking the steaming blood with a revolting slurping sound. Zelda could handle no more; she shut her eyes tightly as she crushed her ears with her hands to block out the awful sound of its feasting.

Link continued to gawk in horror as it drained its partner dry of the greenish fluid before moving onto its belly; it raked its claws deep into the flesh and tore off a sizeable portion of the ribbed underbelly of the unfortunate beast. Filling its tooth-filled maw with slick intestines, it began sucking them down into its gullet at an alarming rate. Link finally had to look away or his gag reflex was going to get the better of him. It was over in mere minutes although it had seemed like hours since these monstrosities arrived.

Evidently satisfied with its meal, the disgusting creature sighed throatily as it licked its snout of entrails; its forked tongue covering the length of its face in a repulsive display of gluttony. As if to insult the mutilated corpse, it swiftly perforated the dead creature multiple times with its tail; the tip of the barb dripping with a green, venomous liquid. It picked the remainder of the Zora with its mouth before giving one final snort at the carcass it had just marred. Flexing its rippling thigh muscles, it bounded high into the air and gripped a thick branch in its clawed hands; with the effortless grace of a monkey, it swung through the canopy swinging from branch to branch.

The rustling of the trees grew fainter as it moved further away from the group; after a few more minutes of tensely waiting in the undergrowth, they finally deemed it safe to depart from their cover. The sounds of the swamp were slowly returning now that the danger had passed. Merin finally let Malon go as she shuddered uncontrollably at the massacre that occurred before their very eyes; Link decided it best to ignore her and let Malon recover at her own pace, he was still quite unnerved himself. He walked up to the torrid carcass, the stench hitting his nostrils like a hurricane; he looked at the massive bulk and estimated its height to be taller than he was by several feet.

Wrinkling up his nose at the ghastly sight of its innards being displayed for all the flies to consume, Link asked, "What in Din's name were those things?"

Lorva walked up beside him, "Those are the Cyn'Taak."

"The what?" Zelda asked, preferring to stay where she was; she would rather not get any closer to that loathsome body.

Aveil filled in for Lorva, "They are the sentient beings that live in these marshlands."

Malon burst out in a yell, "You call that sentient?! One of them killed the other and ate it up!" Merin rushed over to Malon's side to calm her down as her breathing elevated in frequency at the memory of it.

Apolloni scoffed, "I will had to admit you are right there Malon. The Cyn'Taak are a rather cantankerous species, prone to cannibalism and general violent tendencies. Calling them sentient might be too generous of a description."

Aveil bowed her head in agreement, "If it weren't for their venom found in their tails, we'd have little use for them."

Link twirled to Aveil in shock, "You mean the poison we've been putting on our weapons to explode soldiers in the Nevachrean army, they came from these things?!"

She nodded before continuing, "Our variant is a bit more potent. Thanks to the scientist we picked up from Lake Hylia, we managed to expand on its properties so that its victims could explode."

Zelda hesitantly ventured to ask, "If that is your variant of their venom, what does it do normally?"

Merin looked up from Malon, assured that she was sufficiently calm, "It causes its prey to swell up in swollen blood boils. The victim ultimately loses its ability to move and typically slumps to the ground helpless."

Link asked fearing the answer, "What purpose would that serve?"

Merin grimaced at the thought of her response, "You noticed how entranced it was when drinking the blood of its partner?" Link nodded. "They are chronic blood drinkers; it is like an aphrodisiac to them. The boils force most of the victim's blood supply to the surface where it can easily be popped and drunk quickly." Merin finished.

Without warning, Malon pitched over and wretched the contents of her stomach. Merin placed a hand on her back, gently rubbing it down as she allowed Malon to empty her belly. She had to admit it had made her queasy too, the first time she encountered these creatures. She quickly pulled out a piece of cloth to assist Malon in wiping down her mouth.

Apolloni examined their surroundings as she resituated her backpack; she didn't like the location they were in, it was too exposed. She should have realized that before they entered into that petty argument. With firm conviction she stated, "We need to keep moving. This body will attract a lot of unwanted attention and we do not want to be here when that happens."

Link had to approve of the idea, "Zelda, Merin, can you please help Malon up and assist her until she is able to walk on her own."

Apolloni glared at him for his sudden role reversal as leader; she went to rebuke him when Lorva intervened, "I'll help too! I can understand the shock of seeing those things for the first time."

Aveil glanced in his direction and merely shrugged before walking over to Apolloni. Link scrutinized them as they heatedly whispered to each other. He was quickly sizing up in his head whom he could trust of the group; Apolloni was obviously out of the question, she was volatile and unpredictable. Aveil seemed to be her greatest confidant and most likely couldn't be trusted either. He looked over to Lorva and Merin as they picked up Malon, who seemed quite shaky on her feet. Lorva was a mystery, she was kind and generous to them one moment and violently opposed the next; he wasn't sure what to make of her. Merin seemed to be the most trustworthy and genuinely seemed to care for Malon, especially after their…encounter together that first night in the desert.

Apolloni took the lead followed by Aveil and Lorva; Merin walked with Malon while Link and Zelda brought up the rear. They made good progress through the swamp the remainder of that day; however there was still no acceptable location to set up camp that night, it was all deemed vulnerable by Apolloni.

They finally came to a thicket of greenery where the ground became much firmer under foot; they brushed aside the twigs and branches before coming to a clearing. In the center of the copse was an abandoned stone structure; its fluted columns splayed out across the grove with only a few still upholding the overall structure. Excessive vegetation and growth had overtaken the majority of the temple; it was evident that no one had set foot here in many cycles.

"This is where we will stay for the night." Apolloni stated matter-of-factly.

Without much contesting, the rest dazedly unslung their packs and began setting up their sleeping arrangements in the interior of the temple. It seemed to be split up into three different chambers; there was one primary chamber which housed various busts of unknown gods or goddesses. Two side chambers seemed to compliment the first but appeared to be either living quarters or an eating area; they were not sure which. Apolloni and the three Gerudo took one side chamber while Link and the others took the opposite.

They slipped out of their clammy clothes; modesty between them all lost by this point. After having placed some breathable, dry fabrics against their skin, the three moved out to the main chamber to find that the Gerudo had already set up a small fire at the far end opposite the temple entrance. They all piled in close to the flames as they warmed their chilled bones; the damp of the swamps had sunk in and was freezing them in the cool, night air.

Malon, having fully recovered from the ordeal, looking around curiously, "What do you think the purpose of this place was?"

Aveil spoke with indifference, "No idea. This was here before we first discovered the Negev Marshlands. Does it ultimately matter? We have a roof over our head and a place of relative safety to sleep in."

Malon continued to stare at some of the busts adorning the alcoves that lined the sides of the grand hall they resided in, "This had to be a holy place of some kind; it feels almost," she paused trying to find the right word, "reverent in here."

Apolloni scoffed, "Now it's just a way station for our scouts as they pass through these swamps."

Link leaned back against one of the stone hewn pews, "So you all were aware of the danger of going out each month and bringing back more venom from these Cyn'Taak? How did you all actually do it? I doubt those creatures would have willingly given you vials of the stuff." He probed earnestly.

Merin shuddered, "You don't want to know."

Zelda had to agree with her before Apolloni butted in with the awful truth, "There is a reason we always come back one less woman from each expedition."

Silence descended onto the group as they let that thought sink in.


	36. Chapter 35 - Lover's Quarrel

_Warning: Lemon Territory! There are some strong sexual themes in this one kiddos! Anyway, I want to explain a bit about the character here and her mentality: She was captured as a child and raised in a awful place among awful men. She is an adult now but is very much like a child in many ways; thrust into an adult world with no choice. I wrote her and the actions she does in this chapter in such a way that it reveals this shattered state of mind, she is experiencing the present by reliving the past. Its all pretty tragic. Hope you all enjoy the chapter! Link...probably did to some extent!_

- **CHAPTER 35 – Lover's Quarrel**

Link opened his eyes to darkness; he had no idea what woke him. He tilted his head to scan the environs of the chamber they were sleeping in. Nothing but silence greeted him. Assured that nothing was amiss, he laid his head back onto his pack. Ignoring the incessant whispering from the mask, he looked down at the two women sharing his bedroll.

It was awkward that first time waking up on the ridge overlooking the colossus to find Malon and Zelda snuggled tight against his furnace of a body. Merin had given him a look of envy as he stuttered to explain the misunderstanding. Each of them had flushed profusely as they awkwardly slipped out of his sleeping bag that morning.

Over the course of the week they descended into the marshlands, they had grown accustomed to sleeping together as a tight mass of warmth; keeping out the chill of the night as they slept out under the stars. The two women appreciated him for the comfort he brought to them, their silent protector as they fell blissfully asleep by his side; three friends against the world.

Link jerked his head up again to scrutinize his surroundings; he had definitely heard something coming from the main temple hall. Moving as stealthily as he could, he gradually inched his way out of the bedroll. Zelda and Malon stirred briefly but remained thankfully asleep. Finally scooting free of the bag, he rose to his feet; he thought better of placing on his sandals, best to be as silent as possible.

Link gripped the handle of his sword and gently drew it out of its scabbard. With calculating steps he edged closer to the archway leading into the worship hall; a term Malon had coined before they went to bed that night. His back against the nippy marble, Link quickly craned his head to get a good glimpse of the exterior chamber. Insignificant slivers of moonlight drifted in from the temple entrance, barely reaching past the vestibule leaving the rest of the hall in complete darkness. Not even the smoldering embers of the dying fire provided much light to his eyes.

Cautiously entering the room, Link's eyes darted to each of the corners of the room but detected nothing. He had hoped it was nothing more than one of the Gerudo stoking the fire for a bit more heat. After a few tense moments, Link finally relaxed his guard; he stepped over to the sizzling logs and nudged them slightly with the nearby branch. Several embers flew into the air as a small flash of light illuminated the nearby pews.

Soundlessly placing the sword beside the fire within easy reach, he sat down next to the rekindled flames; holding his hands out to capture some of the escaping warmth. Link gazed out over to the entrance and gauged that it was high moon by the angle of the filtered rays drifting in. A small intake of breath from behind jolted him from his thoughts; he quickly grasped the sword as he spun to confront the intruder in their midst.

The tip of his blade was feet away from the dark figure; standing silently just beyond the reach of the dim light. He shifted uncomfortably onto his knee as he waited for the prowler to make the first move. A strained period of silence separated the two as each stared at the other. Link swiftly glanced around to see if there were any more trespassers but could detect none; whoever it was appeared to be alone.

"You are even more beautiful than I remembered." The female voice gasped, the knot in her throat finally enabling her to speak.

Link's eye twitched as he recalled a vague familiarity with the voice; he couldn't exactly place it. "Who are you?" He inquired cautiously.

"Do you not remember my sultry voice, my love?" The figure continued with audible passion creeping into her speech.

Link slowly rose to his feet, keeping the sword leveled directly at the chest of this peculiar intruder. "I'm afraid I don't. I do not know who you are and I highly suggest you leave now." His calm demeanor belied his violent intent; his overwhelming confidence drove her mad with passion. He was all she had dreamed of and more!

"Well, perhaps looking upon my form will help restore your memory, my love." The prowler stepped out from the shadows to reveal the navy blue cloak enveloping her body in shadow. The first indication that this was not a Hylian was the webbed feet protruding from the base of the fabric.

"Will you stop calling me that? I do not know you." Link's voice wavered but he remained firm in his resolve; barely a muscle moved as he maintained his threatening stance.

The woman's voice was hurt, "You are so heartless Link. How could you forget your beloved so easily?"

Link's eyes went wide with the memory of their final moments together; their brief wisp of a kiss before their violent parting. Princess Ruto drew back the hood and let it fall to her shoulders; she was regarding him with a loving eye. "Ruto?" Link stammered almost incoherently. "But…how? I thought you were dead!" He finally exclaimed.

"I was, but Naar rescued me and brought me back to life. He healed me. Now that I am whole again, we can finally be together as husband and wife." She began to take a few steps towards him in relief at having found him at last.

Link's eyes quickly narrowed; he jabbed the sword forward to keep her at bay. She uttered a cry of protest at this unexpected insult. "Stay back Ruto. Are you one of them now? What did Naar do to you? Why are you truly here?" Each question was like an arrow piercing her heart; was he really going to forsake her like this?

"He let me go to find you. Now that you are here, we can run away together; just you and me! There is nothing stopping us from living happily together." She reasoned with him, a slight quiver in her voice; from fear or from desire, he wasn't sure which.

"I'm sorry Ruto, I truly am. But I cannot trust anything Naar says or does; that includes sending you to find me." With each word, he was slowly backing up past the fire; he was hoping he could make it to the room with the Gerudo to wake them up.

With slow, deliberate movements, Ruto reached up and unclasped the brooch holding the cloak; she casually let it crumple to the stone floor as Link's eyes swelled at her nude form. Zoras were naturally naked by nature but Ruto was a special case; she had developed into a fine woman unlike any of her kind. Her buoyant breasts were glistening in the faint light of the fire, her nipples erect from the chill air. The flow of her curves drew his gaze downward into the darkness between her thighs. Her delicate fins protruding from her arms and legs were twitching in anticipation.

She grinned at the effect she had on him; maybe it wasn't hopeless after all. "You are my husband. It is your right to claim this and whisk me off to wherever you desire. Just say the word and I am yours." With the grace of a feline, she carefully paced towards him; one foot in front of the other, rocking her hips in a sexually enticing fashion.

Link's mouth instantly went dry as he stumbled over words that simply would not come to his mouth, "We were…never married Ruto."

"Of course we are my dear. You took from me my most precious possession, the Zora Sapphire. You then sealed the marriage by kissing me before you left; we are forever bound." She drew nearer to him with a lusty look in her eyes; his sword was almost touching her skin at the place where she stopped.

"Ruto…there are others with me. I will alert them if you do not back down." The tip of his sword was jittering slightly at his nervousness; she mistook it for excitement at being so near to her again.

Ruto gently placed a hand on his sword before he could react and smoothly brought it down to his side, "Shhh…they don't have to know about our little rendezvous."

She smirked at his indecision; taking the advantage, she pulled the sword out of his hands as she pressed her body up against his. Link uttered a small cry of protest as she forced her lips onto his; the kiss threw lightning bolts through her body, the feeling coursed across her skin making her want more. Rapidly placing his sword on the nearby pew, she slammed him up against the stone wall; assailing his mouth with her salty tongue.

His squirming against her advances delighted her senses and awakened her longing for him. She crushed her body into his with renewed vigor; slowly dragging him down with her to the floor so he could be deliciously on top. A sharp stab of pain forced her to stagger back from him, her lips gradually starting to form red as the blood dribbled out of her mouth; he had bit her!

Link shuddered in revulsion at the taste of sea water in his mouth; biting her hard on the lips was the only thing he could think of to do. He didn't want to hurt her; she was still his friend…in a sense. "Please Ruto." Link pleaded, "Don't do this. Either help us on our mission or leave."

"I cannot. You either come with me to Naar or come with me to be my husband. You have no choice. You took the Zora Sapphire and secured the pact!" She accused; still nursing her stinging mouth.

Link shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry Ruto. I do not have the Zora Sapphire anymore. I was captured by Naar and he took it from me. It is him you should be asking."

A flash of rage surged across her face, "You're lying." She found it hard to believe.

His heart broke for her; how much did she endure these past seven cycles? "So Naar didn't even tell you he had it in his possession? You've been duped Ruto. I am not your husband; by all accounts it might as well be Naar."

His indictment galvanized her fury into action; she surged towards him, her nails poised to rake his skin. Quickly reacting to her rush, he sidestepped past her; quickly knocking her to the ground with a prompt kick to her rump. She flew sprawling onto the floor with an audible thud. Link tensed waiting for a counterattack but received nothing; she lay across the floor weeping. Her anguish melted his resolve to continue the engagement.

"Ruto? I'm sorry you had to find out this way." He knelt down next to her; his hand hovering over her back, unsure if he should really place it on her scaly skin.

With swift ferocity, she hurled up into his face; knocking him to the floor and pinning his arms above his head. "No!" She spat vilely. "I refuse to believe it! You are lying to me to get out of our marriage! I will not allow it." She hissed.

She suffocated his intake of breath with her mouth; jamming her slick tongue deep into his throat, almost gagging him with its length. He twisted his body violently forcing her into a roll as he emerged on top; jerking his head back from her invasive kiss, Link quickly gasped in exquisite air. He proceeded to rise up from her prone form when she quickly tripped him; his ribs slammed into the stone pew as he hit the ground hard.

Shaking from the pain, Link attempted to crawl towards his sword; she heaved herself onto his back pushing the wind out of him. She leaned in close to his ear, swiftly licking the base of his lobe, "If you won't give it to me freely husband, then I shall consummate our union by force!"

Link slammed his head backward, smashing into her face with the force of a piston; she cried in agony as she recoiled backwards from the pain. Quickly bucking her off, he scrambled over to his sword; he nearly had it in his hands before she was upon him. Ruto gripped his hair and crashed his head into the pew; his vision went blurry before she rammed his head into the stone again. He blacked out completely from the concussion and slumped to the ground limply.

Ruto stood over his unconscious body breathing unevenly. This did not go as she had planned; she did not expect him to be so antagonistic to her. Did he really change that much over the cycles? Did he not remember the love they had for each other? There was not a day that went by that she kept dear to her heart the memories of them together. No matter, she thought, he was here now and ripe for the taking; it was time the wife finally enjoyed the spoils of marriage.

She gently rolled him over onto his back examining his bruised head; a slow stream of blood had emerged from the hair on his scalp. It didn't look to be extremely serious but she was no doctor. For all other intents and purposes, he was still breathing and alive; that was what mattered. With the initial inspection complete, she slowly began to slip her hands into his ivory robe; her moist fingers drifting over his abdomen, relishing the feel of his smooth skin.

Ruto's body shuddered in yearning for this; she had waited many long nights pretending Naar was him. Now that she finally had him, she could barely contain her excitement. Quickly unfastening the leather belt around his waist, she separated the two halves of the robe; disappointed, she discovered it converged just below his navel and then onto the leggings, what an odd outfit.

Casually pulling his arms out of the sleeves, Ruto finally managed to inch the leggings below the object of her longing. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked upon it in wonder; was this how she always imagined it? She softly caressed it in her quivering hands; she thought her heart would burst with the gravity of the moment, it seemed completely unreal to her. She giggled uncontrollably for several minutes as she fondled Link's manhood; she had to pinch herself to be sure she wasn't dreaming.

Finally calming herself down from her emotional high, she took another look at it. She frowned slightly, it wasn't erect like Naar's usually was; that could be a problem. Ruto let it flop down as she thought back on how Naar showed her how to entice him after he was spent. Licking her lips, she recalled what he had forced her to do on many occasions; would that work here when he was passed out? Every time, Naar was awake when she took him in, Link's might not react the same way!

Gingerly spreading his legs apart so she could situate herself between them; she leaned over his phallus and gave it a quick lick. No response. Odd, would she have to do more? Taking cues from her past experience with Naar, she separated the soft appendage from the ball sacs and placed it fully in her mouth. Ruto slowly began to swirl her tongue over its silky texture sucking slightly as she did so.

After a few minutes of this, she became giddy with success as she could feel it growing harder in her mouth. Within moments, his manhood had grown to full length at her coercive sensations. The myriad of memories flooding her mind of Naar took over as she plunged her face onto his shaft. She suckled in earnest taking it fully into her throat with each thrust of her head; lost in the remembrances of being forced to do this, she assaulted Link's member with gusto.

Link moaned slightly, but did not stir; she flicked her attention to his face but could not decipher if he was awakening just yet. Ruto was beginning to enjoy this, he was far nicer than Naar; he simply laid there for her to relish. She lightly massaged his sacs as she intensified her speed, sucking deeply with each stroke. She would keep going until she received what was expected of her. She would be the good, little slave and take what her master gave her.

Another groan from Link forced her attention again up to his face, he was coming around! There probably wasn't much time to finish this! Link struggled to lift his head up, wincing at the throbbing pain streaking through his temple. His eyes locked onto Ruto's, her mouth fully enclosing his manhood. Like a thunderclap, the sensation of what she was doing rushed through his body.

She impaled her mouth down to the hilt which finally sent him over the precipice. He jerked multiple times, his virgin seed gushing down her throat. She greedily gulped the thick nectar as his engorged member jerked uncontrollably between her lips. He moaned in ecstasy at the unnatural, foreign feeling; he had never felt something like that before in his life! What did she just do to him? All thoughts of the pain in his head evaporated.

Ruto calmly drug her mouth up the length of his shaft teasingly as it exited her lips finally with a little slurp. His body jolted briefly as she crawled over him until her eyes were level with his. "That was but a taste of what a wife can do for her husband." Ruto crooned.

"Link? Where are you?" Malon's groggy voice sent sliver daggers of fear into his heart. His sexual groaning probably woke her! Link began to wiggle out from under Ruto's oppressive body; she simply flopped onto him, stalling his escape.

Ruto petted his nose with her finger, "Oh, let her come see us Link. A husband and wife should never be ashamed of doing what comes natural. We should let everyone know the good news." She began grinding her hips up against his swollen member, not quite in but dangerously close.

As wonderful a feeling Ruto bestowed upon him was, the fact that it was her slightly nauseated him. Link begged the Goddesses that Malon not come see him in such a compromising situation; he struggled harder against her wet, scaly body.

"Link?" Malon's eyes went wide as she saw them. "What…are you doing?"

Link grimaced in misery, the Goddesses were so cruel. Malon staggered over in shock at what she was seeing. Link was practically naked with some…unknown woman on top of him! Tears began to well up in her eyes; did he so casually sleep around with females that she meant nothing to him? Who was this mysterious woman? Just what else wasn't he telling her?

Link's brain scrambled for an excuse, "Malon…it's not what it looks like! She assaulted me! I can-"

"Hush now, my husband." Ruto clapped a clammy hand to his mouth as she leered over at Malon. "And who is this? Some sideline hopeful wishing she could have you? It's too late dear, we've already been married." Ruto grinned menacingly at her, daring Malon to retaliate.

Malon's jaw dropped as her eyes moved between the two, disbelief evident in her eyes, "Link, is that true? Please tell me that's not true!" Her voice quivered with bubbling anger.

Link began to shake his head in confirmation but Ruto held it firm beneath her weight; her breasts slowly suffocating him. A fit of hysteria gripped Malon as her vision went red; she ran for Link's sword, quite visible in the darkness, laying several paces from where she stood. Ruto swiftly brought two fingers to her lips and whistled a high pitched tone. An arrow shaft sailed through the air; burrowing itself into Malon's arm forcing her to drop the sword with a clatter. Within seconds, another arrow lodged itself between her ribs; the force of the blow flinging her body against the nearby pew.

Malon's mangled shriek of pain awoke the remainder of the group; the Gerudo surged into the temple hall weapons brandished and eager to kill. Zelda flew out of the archway with a metal rod in hand; a gift to her by Impa. Ruto regarded the motley crew coolly as she assessed their supposed bravado. She gave Zelda a smirk before blowing a kiss in her direction; Zelda cried in disgust as she realized what the Zora woman held captive beneath her.

"Did you really think I would come here on my own?" Ruto taunted.

Ignoring the pitiable wailings of Malon, hunched over the stone oblivious to the events raging around her, Ruto whistled again. Six black-garbed men filed into the temple with grace and agility; their lithe forms were covered from head to toe with dark fabric, their eyes the only thing visible on their bodies. They aimed their bows at each member of the group; taking aim at their hearts.

"You will let me leave with Link and none of you shall be harmed. You have my word." Ruto promised.

Apolloni snarled, "You've already shot one of my own! You call that being unharmed?"

Ruto increased her grip around Link tighter as he continued to tussle for air between her breasts; she looked over indifferently at Malon, "She chose her fate. Her death is of her own doing." Ruto purported.

"If she dies because of you, all of you will die." Apolloni threatened. "If you try to take Link away, all of you will die." She spit fervidly to the side to indicate her disgust.

Ruto creased her eyes in amusement, "Then I believe we are at a stalemate then, my lovely Gerudo."

Moments went by as nobody said a word; not a single body twitched. The only sounds were the ragged wailing of Malon, her hand grasping the shaft that had punctured her ribcage. Her eyes slowly glossing over in shock; cooling numbness began permeating from the wound.

A faint rustling was heard off in the distance; several of the assassins had noticed it too. Ruto glanced over from Apolloni to look out into the swamp, she was unsure of what could be making the sound.

As the scraping of branches and snapping got louder, Zelda's eyes grew wide with fear. "Oh no, no, no, no, no! Not now…not now!" She whispered in despair.

Ruto shot her an irritated glance, "What is it now?" She exhaled.

Merin's stare beheld the object of their fear. Ruto's attention riveted on the three hulking silhouettes blocking out the moonlight as Merin said one word, "Cyn'Taak."


	37. Chapter 36 - Flight From the Dark

- **CHAPTER 36 – Flight From the Dark**

That one word incited Link to action; he reached up above his head placing his hands level on the ground, with one arcing motion he flipped over. Knocking the breath out of Ruto as he slammed down on top of her; she coughed profusely at the sudden reversal. Link staggered slightly as he lifted himself up onto a nearby pew; keenly aware of his nakedness as Lorva looked at him with interest. Do these Gerudo think about sexual things even in the middle of battle?

Swiftly jamming his arms through the sleeves, he scampered over to Malon quickly hefting the sword at her feet into his hand. Her eyes were staring at him but it was clear she wasn't seeing him; so lost in her own world, she couldn't focus on anything but the pain. The Cyn'Taak were still perched at the entrance to the temple, still undecided what to do with the bounty that was placed before them; they had never encountered such a feast that so conveniently presented itself.

Ruto recovered first from the shock of beholding the creatures, she snapped at her entourage, "Quickly, aim for their eyes and mouths!" She knew just by a glance that most attempts on their leathery skin would be fruitless with their weapons.

Every assassin swiveled around releasing their arrows at the beasts. Several rebounded off the tough hides while two hit their marks; two Cyn'Taak got an arrow into the eye each. The behemoths bellowed in rage at the unexpected lethality of their prey; within moments they were charging into the confined hall, their tails whipping around in vain attempts to strike their nimble victims.

Pandemonium broke out amongst the combatants as the Gerudo leaped up off of the Cyn'Taak and crashed swords with the garbed assassins; each had quickly dispersed their bows in favor of swords. Link hastily signaled Zelda to assist him in dragging Malon back into the side chamber before it became impossible to do so. Zelda turned sharply before rolling behind an iron pew; the injured Cyn'Taak had missed her foot by an inch as its deadly barb scratched uselessly against the floor.

They each took one arm and began running through the hall towards the side arch; Malon's cries of pain incurred the wrath of the nearest monstrosity. Link quickly asked for help, "Aveil! The Cyn'Taak!"

Aveil swept low tripping her current opponent, causing him to fall backwards onto his rear. She quickly observed the creature surging in for the kill and nodded in confirmation; she leaped off the prone attacker as he recoiled at her weight, she continued running towards the group attempting to thwart the creature's efforts at scoring an easy meal.

Aveil's beaten adversary swiftly flipped up onto his feet, but it was too late for him. A stinging spur slammed him back to the ground, flooding him with its potent venom. The man's body began to swell profusely with bloody splotches and boils; he continued to expand until he was nothing but a globe of blood-filled abscesses. Smelling the intoxicating scent, the two nearest Cyn'Taak broke off the attack as they collided onto the hapless victim; their gnashing teeth snapping the boils as they began to guzzle him dry. His screams reverberated throughout the hall.

The Gerudo promptly ignored the dying man's mangled death throes and continued towards the beast that was advancing towards Link. Aveil deftly leaped onto the back of the creature before ducking low onto its vertebrae; holding on for dear life to the knotted mane trailing up its back. It swerved around trying to grasp at her legs as its tail irrationally struck out in random directions; its rage was evident when it began striking itself trying to pierce Aveil. At the final puncture just inches from her face, she sliced her sword upwards through the soft tissue of the tail. The beast roared in agony as its tail flopped around uselessly, greenish blood spurting through the air.

Taking a cue from their first casualty, she quickly ripped the amputated barb from the scaled back of the Cyn'Taak; Aveil hopped off and hurled the deadly appendage at the nearest Nevachrean assassin. The man's eyes dilated in surprise as the spike pierced him directly in the heart. He crumpled over to the ground as his body began puffing into disgusting cysts. Aveil sneered in delight at her effective kill; that should keep the other two Cyn'Taak busy with their bloodlust.

Finishing the job she had started, she ducked low over the flailing tail as it whipped through the air; she brought her sword upward through the creature's right arm as it spun around trying to locate her. The arm fell to the ground with a squishing thud as its bellows grew more primal; the beast was almost uncontrollable in its actions, its sole purpose now was to destroy the threat to its existence. It rampaged towards Aveil at blinding speed.

She stood calm and firm until it was almost upon her. She let herself drop to her back as she thrust the sword upward into the air, letting the creature's momentum disembowel itself on her sword as it ran over her. The creature slowed to a halt before shuddering; its innards squirted out of its abdomen onto the floor with a splatter. She confidently stood up as she looked back on the despicable Cyn'Taak crashing to the ground, legs twitching in its final moments of life.

Link and Zelda had finally managed to prop Malon up onto a nearby pillar next to their packs; Malon had ceased moaning and was simply hanging her head listlessly. Link cursed at their situation, they had not the medical supplies to help her here! He quickly examined the two wounds and realized that the arm was an easy fix; the one lodged in her ribs would be the harder of the two to rectify. Grunting with the effort, he snapped the end off and pulled the remainder of the shaft through Malon's arm. She cried out in pain but did not fight him. Link quickly snapped off the majority of the shaft piercing her ribcage but dared not pull out the remainder.

Link stood up and gripped Zelda's shoulders tightly, "We have to get out of here and quick, take only what we need!" He directed her firmly.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that." Ruto's vexed voice echoed from the archway.

She stalked over to them, her fins rigid and flexed for the attack; Link recognized the lethality of those attachments. Normally when a Zora was calm, their fin projections would be soft and flexible; when they were agitated or in battle, they grew firm and one swift cut could slice through bone. Ruto drew up her arms, splaying out her fins in full display as she prepared for the assault.

Zelda pleaded with Ruto, "We don't have to do this. Please just let us go."

Ruto scoffed, her eyes shifting briefly to the main chamber as another blood curdling cry rang out through the night; she was down to three men now. The Gerudo were apparently holding their own quite well. "It is too late for me. I cannot turn back now!" She yelled as she rushed towards Zelda.

Zelda flicked up the metal rod, pressing a button on its base, spikes shooting out from around the tip. With the grace taught to her by Impa, she ducked the first swing of Ruto's arms as her fins carved through the air above her head; Zelda leaned forward utilizing her opponent's momentum to upend Ruto as she jammed the rod up into her inner thigh. Ruto cried out as Zelda flipped her in the air; she crashed to the ground in a heap, blood spooling from the lesions on her leg.

Recovering from the upheaval, Ruto swirled her legs in an arc catching Zelda off guard; the leg fin sliced through her calf as she went to a knee in pain. Link slashed forward with his sword intent to put an end to Ruto's life. Gyrating on the ground, Ruto flipped up heads over heels, disorienting Link as she sailed past his blade whistling through the air towards the floor. She gripped his chin with both hands before utilizing her motion to flip him vertically around full circle; he crashed face first onto the ground, the throbbing in his head returning with a vengeance.

Not giving her an inch of regaining the advantage, Zelda dashed in leading with her rod; Ruto saw through the feint and sidestepped opposite of where she was expected to react. Zelda's eyes grew wide as Ruto's arm connected with her neck, staggering her backwards several paces. Ruto leaped onto her and bit deep into the shoulder; Zelda cried out in distress as the Zora's teeth sunk into the flesh.

Zelda twirled around and crushed the Zoran princess into the wall; her teeth released from her skin enough for Zelda to pull away. She hastily raked the tipped rod across her face knocking Ruto to the ground. The Zora grew still, lying unconscious, her cheeks slowly being covered with her own blood. With one final cry of anger at their attacker, Zelda roved over to Link and assisted him back onto his feet; he tripped a few times, still woozy from the blows to his head.

Link lurched over to his pack and slumped over it; he flipped over onto his back and placed his arms though the straps. "Zelda." He breathlessly said, "I might need some help here." He extended his arm towards her.

Pulling him up off the ground with her good arm, she fastened up his dangling belt and quickly sheathed his sword back into its scabbard at his hip. Link blushed at her bold actions but understood that it was out of necessity she was assisting him. They both turned to Malon with despair; they did not have a clue how they were going to carry her out of here, let alone keep her with the group in this condition.

"Are you just about done yet?" Apolloni jerked her head in glaring at them all. The roars of the Cyn'Taak had subsided; the Gerudo having decapitated them while they were feasting on the entrails of their masked assailants. Lorva and Merin were finishing off the remainder of the assassins; each driving their scimitars deep into the chest of the final man.

Stark silence permeated the temple as everyone calmed down from the disastrous encounter. Zelda was nurturing a bitten shoulder and sliced calf; Link was still shaky on his feet from the concussions inflicted upon his skull as well as soreness along his right side. Apolloni and Aveil were fine; Lorva and Merin suffered minor scratches and bruises but seemed otherwise fit to fight. Quickly packing up their belongings, they all gathered around Malon's incapacitated body; each breath coming out as a shallow whine.

"I saw we leave her here." Apolloni suggested with malice.

Link stepped up to her and confrontationally rebutted, "You may, but Zander and I will not!"

Apolloni huffed, "Call her what you will," casually dismissing Zelda, "you are responsible for Malon's fate. If she falters or fails to keep up, I will personally knock you out and take you with us."

Link blinked several times astonished, "Just me? Why?"

"Because my orders were to only-" Apolloni's eyes squinted cleverly as she saw through his probing question. "Never you mind. Let's go!"

With nimble movements, they navigated through the maelstrom of bodies, viscera, organs, flesh and blood pools. The reeking stench of the freshly minted cadavers was overpowering as they sifted through the corpses. Link struggled to keep Malon cradled in his arms as he sprinted after the group. Within minutes he was faltering; he shifted her weight so that she lay across his shoulders with arms and legs dangling alongside his neck. Satisfied with his new position, he strove to maintain his place behind the group.

A stream of viscid fluid streamed past his shoulder; boiling the ground in which it fell with its acidic properties as it landed mere feet from Lorva. She shrieked as a drop of it splashed onto her ankle, quickly eating away at her skin. Link knew exactly what happened and swerved to the left to avoid the second incoming torrent of acidic juice.

"Ruto! No!" Link yelled as he spun around to face her.

She was wiping her mouth clean of the vile substance; leaning heavily on the fluted pillar supporting the entrance, she glowered at him with what looked like hatred. It was then Link noticed that none of her lacerations had healed; she was still badly limping from the injuries they had inflicted upon her. It dawned on him that she was not yet like Naar and the others! She could still be saved!

"Link? What are you doing?!" Zelda susurrated; unnerved as to why he was stopping to talk to the detestable Zora.

Ignoring her plea, he appealed to Ruto one last time, "Please Ruto. Come with us, we can help you recover from your wounds."

Seething at the wench nestled atop his shoulders, she spit a wad of blood out of her mouth; she laughed bitterly at his pathetic bargain. "What could you possibly offer me? There is no escape from him. You can't protect me...no one can!"

Link's heart yearned to reach out and comfort Ruto; it was clear she felt she was beyond saving. His eyes widened as Ruto puffed her chest up, the gills on her neck flaring; she was going to attempt another attack! Link shouted, "My beloved, no! Ruto, don't do this to your husband!"

The deception worked brilliantly, Ruto doubled over hacking as the bile lodged in her throat; slushing out of her mouth as it splashed upon the ground, killing any greenery it hit. Her body quaking between coughs, she managed to sputter, "You are…a cruel man, my…husband."

Ruto screamed in misery as a trident wedged her right forearm against the stone wall; Link's attention wheeled to the source of the arcing throw. In the water were three Zoras; helmets made from crab carapaces adorned their heads. Their leader was weaponless but motioned to the other two to retrieve the princess. They swiftly slithered out of the murky water and apprehended Ruto.

"What are you doing? Unhand me at once!" She shrieked. They bound her hands behind her back with a set of coral hand cuffs; every movement jabbing its sharp spikes deep into her wrists, releasing poison that slowly drained her energy. Her head hit the ground as her body twitched in agony at the toxin coursing through her veins.

Apolloni fervently yelled, "What are you doing? Leave that witch to die by their hands!" She grasped Link's arm roughly and began pulling him away; he jerked out of her grip violently as he paced up to the tall Zora in the water. His build was lankier than most Zoras Link had encountered, but his muscles indicated years of intense training; he certainly looked the capable warrior. The man was calmly waiting for Link to draw closer; regarding him with a critical eye.

"Are you going to kill her?" Link inquired of his intentions.

The Zora smiled at his genuine concern for their princess, "Be assured Hylian. No harm will come to her while under our care."

Link nodded in relief, "Where will you take her? What do you intend to do?"

Spastic rustling of trees in the distance heralded the entrance of more Cyn'Taak; the Zora glanced nervously off in the direction it was coming from before turning back to Link. "I am afraid this is no time for pleasantries. I pray that the Goddesses protect you this night."

The Zora turned from Link to help his two companions usher the limp Ruto into the muddy water. They all turned to submerge as Link called their apparent leader back, "Please, before you go! What is your name?" Link probed.

"Veraca." The Zora said warmly.

"Link." Link returned. They briefly shook hands.

The Zora turned back to the water before speaking softly over his shoulder, "I suggest you leave quickly Hylian. The Cyn'Taak will be upon you soon. Do not fear for Ruto's safety, we will take her away from here. Farewell, my friend." Link blinked as the Zoras dipped under the surface of the water and were gone; ripples gliding across the surface being the only indication had been there at all.

The crashing of the trees shook Link out of his trance; the swaying of trees across the water indicated the direction they were approaching from, he could just barely see their dark shapes swinging through the branches. It sounded like a lot more than just three of them! He spun around, gripping onto Malon tightly as he ran past the group. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed several of the revived assassins crawling out of the temple; grousing at their escaping quarry. Link grinned; they would at least slow down some of the Cyn'Taak.

"Finally!" Apolloni jeered exasperatedly.

Zelda fell in step alongside Link; sharing a brief smile between the two of them. She glanced at Malon in worry; the poor girl was passed out cold, unaware of the madness around her. Lorva hitched one of her arms around Merin's shoulders as they brushed through the undergrowth of the thicket, the acid still burning a hole in her ankle. Apolloni and Aveil surged to the front as they directed a course for them through the thickest part of the foliage.

A belching roar signaled that they had been spotted; they increased their pace through the vegetation. Branches whipped at their faces and arms drawing thin lines of blood as they rushed past; adrenaline the only thing preventing them from simply collapsing in exhaustion. A sudden incline forced a cry from the group as they tumbled and rolled aggressively down the hill; landing on rocks and sharp sticks jutting from malicious shrubs the entire way down.

Everyone crunched hard onto the moss-ridden ground; Malon flew out from Link's hands flipping hard onto her back. Her eyes sprung open at the sudden pain, her cry split the night. The rest of the group groaned, struggling to recover from the violent tumble down the hill. Zelda shook the dizziness from her head; she looked around the copse they had landed in, the most notable feature being a gigantic weeping willow with a hollow at its base.

Several growls above them presaged the Cyn'Taak appearance. Terrified, Zelda crawled forward frantically on her hands and knees towards the hollow; its entrance wreathed in a myriad of roots. She stopped just short of the entrance as she heard some sharp snorts and snapping from inside; with emerging horror she realized just exactly what they had found.

Link cursed as his ribs hurt; he managed to stand and noticed Zelda frozen to the spot. "Zelda?" He began with apprehension, "What is it?"

Zelda slowly twisted her head to look at him; eyes wide as she saw the Cyn'Taak sliding down the slopes behind Link, "We've stumbled upon their nest."


	38. Chapter 37 - The Southern Raiders

_For the Cyn'Taak that survives the end of this chapter, I want to give it to the readers to name her. Whoever has the best idea for a name, I will utilize it in later chapters. This is important, so I'd like a good name! Link regains some of his courage and actually cusses for the first time in this story! It is a well-deserved oath and I feel warranted for the situation they find themselves in. I hope everyone enjoys this action-packed chapter, it took quite a while to write and how best to set up the cliffhanger at the end and the final reveal of the new character. Stay tuned for more awesomeness!_

- **CHAPTER 37 – The Southern Raiders**

Several screams of terror pierced the night; the Cyn'Taak had found the recomposed assassins and were happily gorging on their newly found renewable food sources. That thought did little to comfort Link and the others as they fearfully backed up against the willow tree. In front of them were six Cyn'Taak, all growling deep in their bellies waiting to spring onto their hapless prey.

"Link, you take the one on the far right, Merin and I can-" Apolloni began directing with a hint of mania in her voice.

"Shut it." Link interrupted. "There is no way the five of us can tackle six fully grown Cyn'Taak and you know it." He had discounted Malon who was definitely in no shape to fight and Lorva who was still cringing in pain at the acid slowly boring a hole through her entire ankle.

After several more moments of indecision, Zelda observed something, "Link, why aren't they attacking?"

"I don't know." Link admitted, although the Cyn'Taak were closing the distance between them, they did little to give away their intentions. They were not striking for a reason.

Merin quickly looked around and her eyes rested on the hollow at the base of the tree; inside were writhing little bodies of infant Cyn'Taak, their eyes still glossed over with a murky film. She gasped, "The babies! They are not attacking because we are near their young!"

Apolloni spat, "Impossible! Two of them tried to kill each other, they are cannibals!" Her usual calm demeanor in battle was shaken considerably.

Dawning realization flowed into Zelda as she turned from the babies back to their mothers, "They are female. They protect the young from the males and everything else!"

Link nudged closer to the wriggling mass of infant Cyn'Taak, "So you're saying they are not attacking us for fear of hurting the offspring?"

Zelda nodded, but dared not take her eyes off the Cyn'Taak, "That's what I'm saying."

Link knew what he had to do, it was completely insane and went against all rational thought; he spun around and quickly grabbed the nearest baby and gathered it into his arms. He was extremely careful in binding its twitching tail to its back with a finger. A shriek of outrage affronted his ears as the mothers glared at him for the grave insult he had performed; they snarled and snapped at him but dared not get any closer. Lorva crawled over to Malon to comfort her as she wailed; her eyes wide with terror as she watched the Cyn'Taak.

"'Ut the 'hild 'own! 'Ow!' The lead Cyn'Taak uttered, vehemently pointing a claw down to the ground to indicate what she wanted.

Link grinned, this was probably hers. "Not until you let us go will I give it back to you."

The Cyn'Taak roared and attempted to swipe at him with her claws; he immediately placed the child in front of him. She withdrew her monstrous talons at the moment she saw the child hurtling towards her from within his grip. She moaned in agony of not being able to rend the insolent piece of meat into ribbons. Her tail began twitching anxiously; she was considering catching them off guard with a quick piercing of venom.

"'Ive 'er to 'e an' 'ou 'an 'eave!" The mother Cyn'Taak pleaded with little conviction. It was clear she was goaded him into a vulnerable position.

Link backed up further towards the edge of the clearing, "Like I would trust a Cyn'Taak to keep its word!" He laughed nervously. A low grumble arose from the mother's belly at his refusal.

As one entity, the group continued to back up away from the deadly Cyn'Taak. Apolloni was dragging Lorva along with her while Malon had been picked up by Merin. Zelda was by his side, visibly shaking with fear as the behemoths edged closer. It was becoming clearer that their hostage of the child was doing little to stop the inevitable advance of the creatures. They were going to die and they knew it. One of the females lumbered over to the hollow; resting a clawed hand onto the roots, it gazed in with relief as its young had not been harmed.

Link held the squealing bundle under his arm as it squirmed fervently trying to escape his grasp. His other hand lay open next to his sword; fingers itching to grab it but realizing it would be a fruitless gesture. The need to escape and to live was overpowering; this was not how he had wanted to die; to be filled with venom, ballooning into nothing but a bloody snack for these creatures. The thought of Zelda's intestines being ripped out of her belly and promptly swallowed was almost unbearable; he looked over to Malon and couldn't stomach the thought of her being eaten alive by these repulsive creatures.

A strange feeling became sweeping from deep within Link; at first he gave it little thought until the surging energy began flowing down his arm into his fingertips. A sudden horse braying startled them all; Apolloni swirled around to see three black stallions standing there triumphantly where there had been none before.

Link's eyes opened wide at the glorious sight, "Quick! Load the wounded onto the horses!" He shouted.

The lead Cyn'Taak bellowed at them escaping; within seconds Lorva cried out in pain. Apolloni promptly dropped her charge as she saw the barb imbed itself deep into Lorva's foot; the unfortunate Gerudo began swelling up into excruciatingly painful blood boils. Ignoring her screaming companion, Apolloni leapt up onto the nearest black mare while she hauled Aveil up onto it behind her. Merin assisted Link in slumping Malon's body over the back of the other.

"What about Lorva?" Merin demanded, looking intently at Apolloni.

"She is lost, leave her!" Apolloni hastily ordered.

Merin scowled at her as she lifted herself onto the horse alongside Malon; Link helped boost Zelda onto the third horse before handing up his deadly package. She gingerly took the scaly child into her arms, being overly cautious of its flicking tail. They kicked the flanks of the horses and went galloping off into the forest; the majority of the marshlands behind them. The danger to their young having passed; the Cyn'Taak leaped upon the screaming Lorva. It was over within seconds.

The lead Cyn'Taak did not give into the bloodlust that had so easily claimed her brethren, her child was being taken from her. She charged on all fours with rage after the kidnappers who had violated her family. Her guttural cry was heard for miles around as she trampled through the underbrush, knocking down weak saplings in her wake. Her eyes were red for the male of the group; for the one that dared touch her baby.

Within minutes, they cleared the tree line and were racing across open plains. The land was unfamiliar to Link; he looked around by the light of the moon to see where they were headed. The open fields were flatter than the rolling hills that surrounded Lon Lon Ranch; several boulders and rocky knolls dotted the landscape at random intervals.

In the distance they spotted a small hamlet with a few twinkling lights perched around the buildings; they pressed their horses hard in that direction. A roar from behind caused Link to twist around; the mother Cyn'Taak burst from the brush with a flourish and was urgently hunting them down. The Gerudo had noticed the rampaging creature as well for they sped up their horses.

Merin chanced a swift glance behind; it was clear the Cyn'Taak was gaining ground on them. It was far more agile and faster than the horses by far; its massive bulk did nothing to curb her fear as it careered towards them. "We're not going to make it!" Merin yelled.

"Shut up!" Apolloni rebuked without looking at her. "We are going to make it! Just ride!"

They were coming up upon a rather large boulder that seemed to pierce the sky with its rising spire; swiftly passing it, they heard a loud squawk of malice just behind them. Zelda skimmed back to see ten hooded riders on horses emerge from the shadow of the rock; they had been lying in wait for trespassers! The Cyn'Taak surprised them as it bowled over two of the horses emerging from beyond the rock; its tail slashed through the air stabbing various bodies in the process.

The other eight riders split around the debacle and continued on their initial track of chasing them down. The sound of whinnying and men shouting indicated the worst for them; surprisingly to Aveil who had turned to watch the whole spectacle, the Cyn'Taak ignored its swollen victims and kept to its firm course. She cursed at their luck; she had hoped it would be enticed by that much blood.

Zelda cried into the wind towards Apolloni, "Who are those people?"

Apolloni shouted back, "The Southern Raiders. We know of them. They attack innocent people, kill them and steal all their belongings."

Link uttered an oath under his breath, "Great! Just what we need right now!"

He acquired Merin's attention and signaled her to follow him back; drawing out her scimitar as he drew out his weapon, they swerved around in an arc to confront the raiders charging towards them. They surged forward at the center of the pack, keenly aware of the Cyn'Taak storming just yards beyond them. The lead rider crowed a battle cry as he lifted his spear intent to skewer Link off his horse; Zelda held tight onto Link's waist, struggling to keep the frantic infant under control.

"Get down!" Link commanded Zelda.

She drew her head low to the side of his body as he leaned over the opposite side of his horse; he swerved his horse left as he slashed his sword at the midriff of the incoming rider. The pike swished harmlessly over his head; the momentum of the horse carried Link's sword straight through the man's body. The horse ran off aimlessly as its rider's torso slumped off the stallion and hit the ground.

Zelda screamed in fright as Link twisted the horse around violently as the Cyn'Taak's claws raked through her leggings, narrowly missing her skin. The Cyn'Taak skidded, kicking up turf and dirt trying to slow its speed; it scrambled regaining its thrust chasing after Link's horse, intent on the kill. Merin had already lopped the head off of one of the raiders as she sliced the snout off of a galloping horse causing it to topple over, flinging its occupant into the ground.

The Cyn'Taak scraped its claws through the legs of a nearby horse that had circled around to attack Link's. The horse pitched forward; with lightning reflexes, the Cyn'Taak caught the poor man in its grip. With a swift snap of its jaws, the beast had ripped the man into two bloody pieces; his cry of pain was cut abruptly short. It violently tossed one of the halves at Link with alarming accuracy. They ducked under the grotesque piece as it sailed over their heads; the beast quickly threw the other half towards Merin.

Merin did not catch the warning in time; she turned to see the bloody legs of a mutilated raider flying towards her. The body knocked her off the horse; she hit the ground with a crack. She moaned in agony as she felt her elbow twist at an awkward ankle. Her horse bolted in panic with Malon still flaccid over its back.

"Apolloni?" Link yelled, his eyes skimming the chaos. He frowned as he saw her and Aveil riding off in the distance towards the hamlet they spotted earlier. That stupid woman! She left them to deal with this mess! He quickly scanned the rest to take stock of where they were; there were four raiders on horseback with one on the ground. Merin was struggling back to her feet as her horse was riding off. The sight of Malon still drooping over the horse galvanized his decision to follow her.

A thunderous boom from his left yanked him back to the present; he spurred his horse to weave right as the Cyn'Taak pounced. It missed them by feet as it landed on the ground with a growl; its tail swung after them scarcely missing the mare's swishing tail. His goal was to retrieve Malon before she got further away from them. Ignoring the crashing booms of the Cyn'Taak chasing after them, he merged through several raiders as they rushed in to attack. One unfortunately got in the way of the enraged mother and both horse and man were flung into the air with the force of her passing; each landing with a sickening crunch.

"No!" Link screamed as he saw dozens of more riders emerging from the shadows of the nearby boulders that dotted the plains. How many riders were there? He began to cry at his inability to reach her in time. The lead rider of the new group swiftly came alongside the freaked horse; swiftly dismounting Malon, he transferred her onto his pommel before stabbing the hapless horse with his pike. The horse vanished in a mist of black vapor.

With a cawing yell, the man signaled several of his men to follow him to the village in the distance; the rest he had ordered to kill them. Link watched the stream of violent men galloping towards them with rising alarm; Link swerved around on the horse to assess the situation behind them. Merin was surprisingly holding her own against the remaining three riders; she had just dismounted one of the men from his horse before driving her scimitar deep into his belly. The rioting Cyn'Taak was merely upon them, murder evident in her eyes; the entire situation looked hopeless.

Link turned forward to face the looming horde before looking up at the sky in desperation, "Fuck it all! Zelda, hold on tight!" He yelled back.

"What are you doing?" She squeaked upon seeing him goading the horse into a full blown sprint at the mass of riders charging towards them.

"The only thing I can do! Attack!" He shouted with grim determination.

Ignoring the pounding in his head, he urged the horse onward into the center of the mass; his sword at the ready. Link prayed quickly to the Goddesses knowing this could very well be his last moments. He brought his sword out to the side, ready to slice through the nearest rider. He was shocked when several arrows whisked through the night and struck the leading edge of the horsemen; the riders were blown off their steeds by the force of the arrows. Link observed their bodies swelling in carbuncles; were the arrows tipped with Cyn'Taak venom?

Link had little time to think as the horde split around them; to do as much damage as possible he jerked his horse into the nearest rider before parrying the attacker's spear. He jabbed forward with his sword, puncturing his chest before yanking it out for another strike on the subsequent rider. The Cyn'Taak plowed into the mass, flinging horses and men around like rag dolls; it had lost sight of Link and his horse, its fury evident in its cry.

He swerved the horse around as he sliced the neck of another raider; Zelda was frantically holding the Cyn'Taak child in her arms. Why was she still carrying this thing? She looked up over the multitude of horsemen to see a new group of six riders, each were armed with a bow and were firing with impunity amongst the crowd. Perched on the back of the lead horse was a taller man who had rescued Merin from her predicament; she had her arms wrapped around his waist and seemed thoroughly exhausted.

"Link!" She pointed to direct his attention, "Make way for that group of riders. I have a feeling they are friends."

Link perceived what Zelda was referring to and incited his horse towards the new group; Zelda quickly shoved Link down onto his horse as he cried out startled. She had saved his life as one of the raiders heaved a spear through the air at his head. It passed between them harmlessly; jamming itself into the nearby dirt. The rider cursed as he flew past behind them.

Link flicked his eyes back to understand what just happened, "Thank you." He mouthed back to Zelda before continuing his rush towards the new group of six.

Merging with the new batch of horsemen, the leader signaled them to fall in behind him; with lack of any better direction, Link brought the horse around to rush in with the charging group. His eyes bulged as the man propped himself to stand on the saddle of his galloping horse; he was perfectly perched on top of the stallion. He handed the reins to Merin who swiftly took them to help guide the horse forward. With the simple grace denoting years of practice, the man withdrew two swords from the scabbards across his back; each sword had an odd, hooked end which Link couldn't readily decipher their use.

The other five riders continued firing their bows into the tangled mess of raiders; all of which were circling the Cyn'Taak, intent on killing the creature once and for all. Its pitiable cries broke the night as multitudes of spears impaled its flanks, drawing blood with every stab. The first thing Link noticed about the archers was that they were very young looking; their bodies were small and undeveloped. They were children! His eyes swiveled to their leader, calmly balanced on his running horse; he looked slightly older than he was!

Link scrutinized the young man; he was wearing form fitting clothes. His torso was wrapped in a bluish tunic that was strapped up by the crossed scabbard draped over his form; on each shoulder was a bronze pauldron, no doubt stolen from previous opponents. He wore several belts at haphazard angles around his waist; holding up tights that had an intricate design flowing down the outside of his legs. The man wore thin, furred boots that reached just above his ankles. The most noticeable thing about him was his brilliantly purple hair; its sheen visible even in the moonlight.

Within moments they had come near the herd; encircling the Cyn'Taak like moths to a flame. Slightly crouching just before the leap, the man bounded from the saddle onto the nearest horse; sweeping his hooked sword low as it caught its rider by the neck. With an upward heave, he leapt to the next horse; the previous occupant hurtling head over feet into the air before slamming onto the ground.

Clashing into the startled riders, they turned to the new threat with zeal. Link deflected and blocked various jabs while quickly disarming others; they plowed through the ranks, the child archers eliminating men left and right with their poisoned arrows. Link marveled at their limber leader as he hopped from horse to horse, knocking each tenant off their saddle with a flip of his hooked swords. He made a full loop around the majority of the crowd before leaping back into the saddle of his own buck right in front of an astonished Merin.

Their unknown savior impelled the horse around towards the tree line as he yelled off to his partner, "Jim, cover our backs, will ya?"

The young boy gave him a thumbs up before surging back into the fray; the southern raiders had all but given up the battle. Some made half-hearted attempts at killing the young boy. In the end, the raiders dispersed and began making their way towards the small town glowing off in the distance; leaving the massacred Cyn'Taak corpse where it lay. A small, gurgling wail emitted from its throat as it spotted Link on his black mare; the small infant in Zelda's arms had settled down considerably but returned the call with a howl of its own. Zelda couldn't help but feel remorse for what they had done to the child and its mother.

With the immediate danger finally passed, the young man sheathed his awkward looking swords back into his cross scabbards; he turned his head briefly to indicate to Merin she should steer the horse back towards the marshlands. Link propelled his horse alongside the leader; Merin and him shared a brief smile, it was clear her arm was very tender but she was doing her best to hide it.

"Hey." Link hailed the youth; the man turned his violet eyes upon him. "Why are we going back to the Negev? We are trying to escape the Cyn'Taak."

Leaning forward in the saddle, the man was apparently enjoying the ride. He simply smiled back, "What better place to hide from those Nevachreans than in the most dangerous place possible?"

Link had to admit the man made a good point, "Do you have a place of shelter to go back to?" Link queried.

The youth shook his head in the affirmative, "Yes. Follow me and I shall take you there."

"What about Malon?" Zelda whispered to Link.

"You mean the girl they took?" Zelda jerked at his uncanny hearing; undaunted by her expression he continued casually. "I wouldn't worry about her too much just yet. They will probably take a day or two before they figure out what to do with her; Plenty of time to rescue her."

Link was unsure about this man's casual attitude towards Malon's predicament. Trying to appear friendly and appreciative, Link began warmly, "Thank you for your assistance back there. My name is Link."

The man turned to him with a beaming smile, "Nice to meet you Link! I'm Kafei."


	39. Chapter 38 - Conspirators in Crime

- **CHAPTER 38 – Conspirators in Crime**

The uproar they had caused in the camp was notable; the two of them landed amidst the multitude of burly men, demanding that they be taken to their leader. None of the men needed any more incentive to slice their throats than that. The first few attackers were either frozen into blocks of ice and immediately shattered or burnt to nothing but ashes; the rest of the brutes stayed a healthy distance back after the first skirmish. With great reluctance, they escorted the two hags to the central, spired tent residing towards the front of the horde.

Naar glanced up from his locket; quickly snapping it shut before tucking it back into his armor, wiping a swift tear from his cheek. Mentally steeling himself for dealing with the arrogant interruption, he stormed up to the guard before snapping, "I requested that I was not to be disturbed at this time! Why do you bring this mess in here?" Dismissively flicking his hand in the direction of the two females.

"You should honestly have a bit more respect for your elders!" Kotake fumed as she sidestepped past the guard and brazenly entered the tent.

"We come with great tidings and this is how we are treated? Tsk, tsk, sister, they really do need to be taught a lesson!" Koume scoffed as she followed behind her sister; Naar's eyes opened wide at their shameless behavior.

"You have five seconds to explain what it is you are doing here before I reduce you to nothing but dirt!" Naar threatened with growing malevolence to his tone.

"Ho, ho, ho, quite a temper we have on this one!" Kotake joked with her sister.

"He, he, he, I think we've dealt with this before, haven't we?" Koume agreed jovially.

Angered at their impertinence, he swiftly summoned a gladius before swinging it down upon the head of the nearest hag. The sword shattered in his hand as it struck the barrier the witch was able to conjure at the last second; shards went flying everywhere as Naar was knocked flat onto his rear from the blow. Within seconds he blasted them both with a beam of pure energy; the two sisters retaliated with a blend of their magicks. The two forces collided at the center of the tent, pulsing outward a huge shockwave that reached the furthest edges of the camp. The guard was knocked completely unconscious by the discharge.

"You have some skill you filthy witches, I will give you that!" Naar exclaimed.

Naar knew power when he saw it. The two witches were calm and determined to win the battle of wills. He always respected opponents who had as much power as he did; he respected them even more when they finally fell to his blade. With great exertion, he stood back up to his feet and pressed forward towards the women; his power palpitating in waves towards their combined energy. Little beads of sweat began to form on their temples; clear signs that he was ultimately winning, he smirked as they attempted to redouble their efforts.

The fire witch ducked out of the conflict before levitating off to his right; she conjured a fireball and hurled it at him. He rolled out of the way silencing his own attack. The ice witch free to move once more, attempted to head him off at the pass. The table behind him burst into flames as the chair in front hardened into solid ice. Both witches were floating in the air summoning more balls of deadly magick; with the deftness of hundreds of years of practice, Naar called two daggers into his hands.

He swiftly threw them at each witch; so concentrated they were on casting they didn't notice the daggers until they were embedded into their shoulders. The magick evaporated into the air as they collapsed to the floor. Naar huffed as he paced up to the miscreant hags; he was going to enjoy killing them. He hadn't felt this challenged in a good, long while.

"Stop! We can help you!" Kotake raised up a hand; erecting a quick barrier around them both.

Naar raised an eyebrow at this unforeseen twist; he had half expected them to be assassins making a futile attempt on his life. "Go on." He commanded calmly.

A quick wave of Koume's hand dispersed the blades entrenched into their arms; with the pain mostly gone, she hobbled up onto her feet still beyond the protective aura being produced from her sister. Lightly brushing down her robes, she stared up at the imposing general. With a slightly haughty tone, she began, "We came not to be your enemies, but your allies. We have come to help you eliminate one of your greatest problems."

Naar had a feeling what problem that could be, based on their ethnic garb. "You have my ears, do continue." He grabbed a chair that wasn't frozen and slid it beneath him before sitting coolly. "Could you diffuse the magick you've made in my tent?" He motioned to the flaming table and frozen chair; his voice was courteous but it was clear that it was not to be disobeyed.

Feeling more comfortable at his changed demeanor, they whisked the spells into oblivion. The table was scorched but was still serviceable; the chair didn't fare as well. Releasing the aura that surrounded them, Koume stepped forward with her sister; they maintained a healthy distance of several paces between them and the general.

"We feel it would be mutually beneficial that we help you secure the Gerudo nation." Kotake began.

"We know of a way we can eliminate Ganondorf's barrier so that you can invade and harm him." Koume offered.

Naar conjured up a glass of wine; reclining back into the chair after taking a sip, he looked equably at the two witches. "And why would you offer me this deal? What is preventing me from just killing you two outright and still accomplishing my goal? They'll eventually have to dismantle that shield if they hope to survive the next cycle. They have to be low on food and water; something I'm sure you two are perfectly aware we don't need." He leered as he took another sip of the delicious wine.

"Says the man who dines on fine drink." Kotake muttered under her breath.

"Indeed sister, what a-" Koume started.

Startling them both, Naar spoke over their hushed conversation with veiled menace, "I drink because I enjoy the taste, not because I personally care for its value for sustaining my body. Either explain the reasoning for your offer or die by my hand, I personally don't care which."

Kotake snorted indignantly as he nonchalantly sipped again, "We firmly believe that Ganondorf is leading the Gerudo on the wrong path to prosperity."

Koume chimed in with a cackle, "We want to make sure we are on the winning side in return for sparing our people."

"Traitors then." Naar mused. "Well then, I don't see any reason not to hear you out."

Kotake dove right into her explanation, "We can dispel the barrier around our fortress; for we are the ones who created it."

Koume filled in the remaining details, "Ganondorf is the centerpiece of the spell; without him, the entire aura falls apart. It is physically taxing on his heart."

Naar rubbed his beard absently as he listened to the two crones, "So the barrier around the Temple of Time is of your doing?" They both nodded in agreement; Naar continued after their affirmation, "I've spent the last few cycles reading up on the Master Sword, the Triforce and many other delectable pieces of history and knowledge. Removing the barrier isn't the only obstacles in my path."

Kotake waggled a gnarled finger in the air, "That is where we can assist you. You mayhap have heard of a youth named Link?"

A low grumble signified the fact; Koume chortled at Naar's grimace as the memories of the boy returned, "He has just recently been sent on a fool's errand; a quest for the remaining sacred stones not currently in possession of the Gerudo."

Naar gauged if he should reveal the location of the sapphire, ultimately deciding it wouldn't do him any harm. "A fool's errand indeed, I hold the Zora Sapphire. That deplorable runt would have to come to the heart of my army to wrest it from me. He would not get within leagues of my person before being cut to ribbons."

Kotake flashed a nasty grin before bravely stepping forward towards Naar, "Might I suggest we enable Link to complete his mission?"

Naar's chair flung backwards as he shattered the glass onto the floor; he stood up to his full commanding height, eyes glowering at the two unfazed witches. "What would ever possess me to allow that whelp to access the Master Sword?!"

Koume raised both hands up in mirth; she was clearly enjoying his anger at their proposal. "Naar, please sit back down and let us explain the plan to you. My sister and I have gone over this a dozen times, it is flawless."

Their heated conversation had gone on late into the night; the sun was just cresting the horizon as the two witches sailed off into the morning sun. Several brutes looked up from their morning meals wondering what the shrinking specks in the sky were.

**-Break-**

Their horse has vaporized several miles back, catapulting the two of them onto the ground. Their quick reflexes prevented any serious injuries from occurring as they lightly landed on their feet. Apolloni had willfully left a hopeless situation; she wasn't sure if the mission could be completed now, but they had to try. Aveil shared a knowing look before they set off on foot towards the small village at the base of the gradual decline.

It took the better part of an hour to reach the hamlet; there were over a dozen buildings enclosed behind a wall of wooden pikes. There appeared to be only one entrance to the town, guarded by several garbed men armed with spears. Opting out of engaging in unnecessary battles, the two Gerudo vaulted over the back wall of the town; they landed silently on the dirt paths of the village, quickly dashing to the shadow of a nearby structure.

Their ears pricked up at the sound of stomping hooves rumbling closer; they darted from shadow to shadow getting a good view of the gated entrance. The sentries blew a bugle that echoed through the chill, night air. The gates swung open with creaking moans; a large group of horsemen entered in, neatly filling out the town courtyard with their bulk.

Apolloni's eyes centered on their leader; she observed the body resting over the pommel of the saddle, it was Malon. She narrowed her eyes as he slumped off the horse with slovenly abandon. He signaled several of the guards to drag Malon off of the steed and carry her into the nearby house. Without further delay, she motioned to Aveil to follow her around the perimeter of the walled settlement; they slinked up to the back windows of the building, making sure to stay out of the light of the hanging lanterns.

The two women peeked over the window ledge; they regarded the situation as the man ordered the two guards to roughly dump Malon's limp body onto the bed set up in the far corner. It was clear Malon was not doing well; she was lethargic and barely able to stay awake. If the arrowhead was not removed soon and any internal damage healed, she would most certainly die before the night was out. The man spoke gruffly to his two sentries, loud enough for the two Gerudo to eavesdrop.

"I need the doctor in here now! She is no use to me dead!" The man cawed.

Both men quickly saluted before hastening out into the hall, hailing the doctor. The leader was tapping his feet impatiently; after a few minutes, an old man came in with a bag full of medical equipment. Promptly ignoring the aggravated man standing by the door, the doctor slowly strode over to the bed where Malon lay.

"How long has she been like this?" The specialist asked in hushed tones, surprise evident in his voice.

"How should I know?!" The leader snapped. "Can you fix her?"

The medic shrugged as he turned back to the poor woman, "Perhaps, I can't guarantee anything. She seems to have been injured a good while ago."

"Just make her better again. I have need to speak to her tomorrow!" With an irritated snort, he stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him.

The old man shook his head before dedicating himself to the task at hand. He examined the broken shaft still lodged in Malon's ribcage; he bowed his head in silence a bit, as if praying for her soul before the invasive operation. The doctor opened up his medical bag and pulled out a syringe the size of his hand; swiftly stabbing it near the arrow lesion, he injected the entire contents into Malon.

The man, who was clearly a surgeon, fastened to his head a pair of odd-looking scopes; he manipulated them in front of his eyes before leaning in close to her chest. Lacking any sort of modesty, he cut through her ivory robe and tore her clothes apart; revealing her round firm breasts. Completely oblivious to her budding sexuality, he brought forth a scalpel and began to make an incision on either side of the wooden shaft.

Aveil gently squeezed Apolloni's hand as she looked on the operation; despite killing multitudes of Hylians and other foul beasts, she still felt slightly sick at the sight of someone operating on another. Annoyed at Aveil's weakness for these sorts of things, Apolloni jerked her hand away from hers; Aveil wilted at her reaction but dared not turn away from the window.

The surgeon placed an unknown device into the crevice of the incision he had previously made; he started cranking the opening wider with every turn of the device. Malon's eyes shot open as she began shrieking bloody murder; the doctor yelled for several sentries to come hold her down. They gripped her arms and legs firmly; she thrashed around as the man slowly opened up the body cavity to unnatural lengths. Aveil bit her lip hard as she looked on with misery at Malon's plight.

Seeing the objective in sight, the man reached into her body and slowly withdrew the entire shaft with spear tip intact from her ribs. He held her torso still as he examined closer the injury the arrow had wrought. He sighed in relief, it had only punctured one of her lungs and not her heart; the procedure would be significantly simpler. Cranking a few more rotations on the device, eliciting shrill cries from Malon, he set to work immediately on repairing the damage to her lacerated lung.

Aveil tugged on Apolloni's leggings; her head snapped to her subordinate with exasperation. "What is it?" Apolloni hissed.

"Can we find a place to turn in for the night?" She queried; exhaustion palpable in her voice.

Apolloni sighed before looking around the village for potential locations, "I don't think the people in this village will be agreeable to us staying with them openly." She spotted a nearby stable where the men were filtering in their horses for feeding and rest; she pointed off in that direction. "We'll sleep in there for the evening. Follow me."

They slipped back into the shadows and disappeared into the night.

**-Break-**

The first rays of light filtered in from the window, the blinding light tracking across her face. Malon blinked dazedly as she attempted to move her arm to shield her face from the glaring sun. She groaned in anguish when violent stabs of pain flashed through her ribs; she couldn't even hold her tender side for it only brought more pain. She dejectedly dropped her arm to her side, content with letting the agony subside slowly over the course of time. She noticed she was covered up in plain white sheets and was lying in a bed inside what appeared to be a log cabin.

"So you are finally awake, my dear." The brusque voice startled her greatly; forcing her body into more spasms at the shock of the jolt. She grated heatedly.

"Where…am…I?" Malon racked her body with each individual word; her breath coming out in forced gasps.

The man was silhouetted against the window; his features in darkness against the glaring sun shining just beyond him. He was purposefully hiding his identity from her. He appeared to be a tall, gangly man with a light bit of paunch to his belly; he had his hands clasped behind his back and he hunched over ever so slightly, a physical birth defect no doubt. She could tell by his outline that he had a very elaborate mustache but she couldn't decipher any other details about him.

"After all these long cycles, you have stumbled across my doorstep; to think that I would meet you here of all places!" The man squawked enthusiastically.

Malon shut her eyes briefly, she didn't feel well enough for these stupid games. "What…do…you…want?" She exhaled sorely.

The man laughed heartily, sounding like a dying crow. "What do I want? You know, that is a very good question! I haven't fully decided yet! Finding you amongst those Gerudo was a real stroke of providence for me. Tell me my dear Malon, where is your father?" A slight hint of menace entered his tone.

Malon studied his shape carefully at this question; who was he? How did he know her name, not to mention her father? Her breathing getting increasingly labored, she managed to croak, "Who…are…you?"

"Ah yes, the inevitable question presents itself! I can't believe you could have forgotten me so easily. If I recall, it was both you and that stupid Kokiri brat that got me fired and left me homeless! Penniless!" The resentment clear in his voice as spittle crossed the room as his accusations.

Malon's eyes grew wide at the realization of who stood before her; the man slowly came into view as he walked towards her bedside. "You!" She exhaled.

"Yes me, so glad you finally recognized me! The 'greedy, backstabbing' Ingo! The one you got fired! It is so good to see you after all this time Malon." He leered at her prone form.

Malon couldn't take anymore; she swiftly passed out…


	40. Chapter 39 - Little Listener

_When I first wrote Kotake and Koume into the story back in Act 1. I honestly did not realize how big of a power player they would ultimately be in the story. Now that I've fleshed out their characters and their overall role in the story. I'm altering later events to fit their new character arcs. The story will ultimately end as I had planned it, but their part in the grand drama will be embellished quite a bit. I hope everyone enjoys what I am doing with all these characters and their myriad of interactions between them that probably normally wouldn't happen in the games themselves. My goal is to pair up characters that you wouldn't normally consider._

- **CHAPTER 39 – Little Listener**

It had been almost a week since his imprisonment; the dull, metal bars made the memories flood back with a vengeance. His diet was drastically transformed for the worse; they had fed him nothing but plain water and lukewarm gruel. His body had changed little in terms of overall bulk, but the hunger pains hurt something fierce in the depths of the night. They had left him to rot in the cell with nothing but the tattered tights in which he was whipped in; the scars across his back had just started to fade finally. Nobody came to see him but the occasional guard who delivered his food; they wouldn't even allow him to talk to Nabooru or their daughter, Giana.

A creak at the door penetrated his thoughts. Talon looked out the grim window to see the morning sun just cresting the canyon walls; he sighed, it must be breakfast time already. The figure who strolled in was not the one he had been expecting. He stood up with a start as the diminutive girl walked in holding a tray of steaming porridge, a bit hotter than he was used to but he'd gladly accept it. She turned to him with a forlorn smile on her face, her wings slowly wavering behind her.

"Hey Talon." Saria smiled weakly; she had clearly seen better days for her eyes were bloodshot as if she had been profusely crying.

Talon surged up to the bars, gripping them tight. "Did they hurt ya any?" He asked her extremely concerned.

She shook her head before responding, "No. I've actually been treated very nice. I'm more worried about you. Have they let you see any of your family yet?"

He bowed his head low, clearly wrought with anguish at his situation; it would at least be somewhat tolerable if he could see his family once a day. "No. I haven't seen anyone but the Gerudo guards. They don't even mess with me at all except ta bring me food."

Saria slipped the tray through the bars as best she could, Talon assisted her. "Well here is some warm food for you." She flushed slightly. "I made it myself with the help of the cooks. I said I had wanted to bring you food today. No one really had any objections."

Talon beamed at her tenderly. "Ya are such a sweet girl. I am glad ta have ya as a friend."

"Thank you." Saria said shyly. She hadn't been complimented much the past week, having excommunicated herself fully from the majority of the population in the fortress.

Talon took a spoonful of the gruel and was pleasantly surprised at the flavor; most times it was tasteless and utterly disgusting. He only gagged it down because he needed to keep his energy up. His eyes widened with surprise, "What flavor did ya put in this?" Talon asked interested.

Saria leaned over to look at the bowl, "See those green flecks? I put some basil in there. It was one of the few spices I recognized on the shelves."

"It is absolutely delicious!" Talon complimented. He began spooning it in with zest, gulping the slop hungrily.

"I'm happy you like it." Saria beamed as Talon feasting on her cooking. The feeling was something unique and different; she had never cooked for anyone before in her life and it was gratifying to have someone appreciate what she did.

With one final slurp, Talon had finished the entire meal. Appreciatively handing back the bowl to her through the bars, he inquired. "Do ya think ya can do this every day?"

Saria looked away fleetingly, "I'm not entirely sure. I don't think I can if Ganondorf is around to see me do it."

Talon nodded in understanding, "I understan' Saria. Don't get in trouble on my account." His face became animated at this valuable opportunity. "How is Nabooru? What news do ya have about Giana?" Talon asked eagerly.

Saria grinned at the last question with Giana, "That little girl is quite rambunctious. She can always be found rollicking around at the upper archery range with the young colts. She has as much fondness for animals as Malon does."

Talon tentatively asked, "Does she ask about me?"

Saria's countenance fell slightly, "She does. They simply tell her you are on a trip and that you'll be back soon."

He cursed at this blatant lie; promptly apologizing for saying such blasphemies in front of Saria, he continued, "I'm furious fer them lying ta my own daughter about where I am! Can ya tell her what's happened to me?"

Saria shook her head disconcertedly, "What purpose would that serve Talon? You want her to worry about her father? How would that help her?"

Talon grimaced in agreement, "Ya right. I apologize fer asking that of you. Can ya at least tell Nabooru I am okay?"

Saria warmed up to that notion, "I can do that." She sighed deeply, "Well, I better get going then."

She reached through the bars and placed a tender hand on his cheek; he gratefully pressed into her tiny palm, holding it tight against his face with his hand. They stayed connected for several minutes; tranquility flowed around them as they embraced each other's company. With a soft gasp, Talon released her hand as she drew it back between the bars. Leaving him with one, last, angelic smile, she turned and headed out the door shutting it gently behind her.

Saria paced down the halls knowing exactly where she was going by this point; her ultimate destination was Nabooru's quarters. She knew a route that would take her past the council chamber. She tended to pass by that room far more often these days in hopes she could glean some sort of valuable information that would be of use to her friends. After returning the bowl and tray back to the kitchens, she proceeded down the network of passages that would lead her past the council room.

She was within several paces of it before she realized her efforts had not been in vain. She quickly ducked to the side of the doorframe just out of sight. She craned her head around the corner to see the two vile witches, Kotake and Koume. They were alone in the room with Ganondorf, who appeared to be listening intently to their dialogue. What were they plotting now? She pricked her ears up higher trying to hear their hushed whispers better.

"Ho ho ho, he has bought the ruse wonderfully my lord!" Kotake cackled.

"He he he, he truly believes we are out to betray the Gerudo!" Koume hooted.

Ganondorf grunted before responding, "That is just as well. Without his assistance in this matter, I don't think we have a chance of winning. The key is to keep him into thinking you are cooperating. If Link cannot complete this errand, our plan fails."

"Why does it have to be that insolent whelp?" Kotake smoldered.

"Why can it not be you who uses the sacred stones to access the Master Sword?" Koume questioned roughly.

"Because I am not as stupid as you two hags." Both witches grumbled affronted at his jab at their age. "I've done my research and the boy has definitely filled in some blanks for me about the issue. The Master Sword chooses its wielder, something I am quite confident of, that it is not me."

"So what do you propose we do? We let him make it all the way to the Master Sword?" Kotake quizzed nonplussed.

"What if Link accesses the Triforce first, where does that leave us?" Koume wailed.

Ganondorf waved a hand in dismissal at their protest, "You need not concern yourself with that. I have a plan that will ensure that the Gerudo claim the Triforce for themselves."

"What?" Kotake cawed. "You will not reveal your plans to your most confident advisors?"

"The two women who spent years rearing you up in the dark arts and raised you from a babe?" Koume offered.

Ganondorf derided, "Do not try my patience. I owe you two witches nothing. What I keep secret is my business. Now leave me!"

A gust of pure energy washed over the room; knocking both witches back a few steps. They looked at each other uncertainly before stepping out of the chamber. The door slammed shut swiftly behind them; smacking Kotake presently on the butt. She jerked forward with a start, she did little to conceal her vexed anger. Saria immediately crouched low in the shadows of the hall, drawing her wings tight against her body; hoping her innate ability to appear inconspicuous worked in her favor.

"That man is riding our culture into the ground sister." Kotake fumed, gingerly rubbing her behind at the smarting sting.

Koume sniffed in displeasure, "Agreed. The previous kings were much more agreeable to our will. He cannot be tamed."

They swiftly whisked past Saria's position; she huddled closer to the ground watching the two crones sweep by. Her heart beat faster as they stopped just feet away from her; the witch with the flaming red crystal swirled around, her eyes flickering back and forth down the hall. Her sister turned to investigate why they had stopped.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Kotake probed.

After a few moments, Koume shook her head. "I believe we have that rat listening in again."

"She'll slip up eventually and then we'll have her!" Kotake scoffed.

Gazing down the corridor one last time, she turned and continued their walk. "Indeed so sister. We need to make sure," she continued with their original train of thought, "that the good of our people come first. Regardless of the king that rules them."

"Shall we grant an assist with the next pregnancy among the Gerudo?" Kotake offered.

"I'm afraid so. I believe the current king has outlived his usefulness. It would be so unfortunate if something…untoward should happen to him." Koume chortled.

Both witches laughed all the way down the hall. As they receded behind a corner; Saria bolted from her hiding spot and dashed through the winding pathways before slamming up against Nabooru's door. She was pounding so hard she feared she might wake everyone else in the fortress; for it was still early in the morning. Aside from the night shift, most Gerudo were still in their beds at this hour.

Nabooru swiftly opened the door; her eyes expanded at Saria standing before her, she quickly signaled the Kokiri inside. She put a finger to her lips before directing Saria's attention over to the alcove where she shared a bed with Giana, her daughter. The little tyke was sleeping blissfully under a blank of furs; her little snores the only sound in the room. Saria looked rueful at having been so rude for banging on her door; Nabooru dismissed it quickly.

Nabooru offered a chair that Saria gratefully accepted before sitting down. "I'm so happy to finally see you again Saria." Nabooru began, grateful to finally make contact with the reclusive Kokiri; ever since the incident with Malon, she had neglected all contact with her. "What brings you here this morning? Is there anything I can do for you?" She seemed genuinely concerned for Saria, which helped stem her fears about coming to her. She observed Nabooru adjusting her wraparound top as it had dipped low over her breasts during the night.

"I think something awful is going to happen soon here." Saria blurted out abruptly.

Nabooru placed a hand on the Kokiri's shoulder as she noticed her wings flittering restlessly, "It is going to be okay Saria. Just slow down and tell me everything." She feared the worst and closed her eyes as Saria confirmed her suspicions.

Saria shakily began, "Kotake and Koume seem to have made contact with the invading army. They were on Ganondorf's orders to deceive them; that they would assist in defeating the Gerudo." Nabooru's eyes grew cold at the news but allowed the Kokiri to continue, "They are working towards permitting Link to succeed in his quest for the sacred stones. They want him to pull out the Master Sword!"

Nabooru cursed at the treachery of the two witches, "Why the Master Sword? Is the army's general in agreement with this?"

Saria shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. I only heard that he would be cooperating with the witches in this."

Nabooru leaned back in her chair while she thought about the situation a bit, "So Ganondorf sent them to trick the army into helping Link fulfill this failure of a quest in return for the surrender of the Gerudo. However, they were under orders by Ganondorf to propose this deal. Am I getting this right?"

Saria dipped her head in agreement, "That's not the worst of it!" She said intensely.

Nabooru made a motion for her to continue, "I'm listening." She said calmly; although her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and plans.

"Ganondorf has something up his sleeve he did not reveal to the witches. I don't know what it is, he won't tell them. The two of them are also plotting about removing Ganondorf from power as well! They don't believe he is a good enough leader anymore!" Saria exclaimed; she nervously looked over at Giana as Nabooru shot her a frown at the volume of her voice.

Nabooru got up and paced around the room; her musings swirling around like a maelstrom. So Ganondorf was playing both the witches and Naar. Naar was playing along with the two crones to manipulate Link in exchange for the Gerudo; and Kotake and Koume were playing everyone as fools. There was a lot of treachery afoot and Nabooru and her family were caught in the middle of it. Something evil was looming on the horizon and it would not be long now before the Gerudo were at its doorstep; she needed to act now or all would be lost.

Nabooru turned to Saria still waiting patiently in the chair, watching her as she stalked up and down the room in silence. "Saria, I need you to secretly pack several rucksacks with supplies; hardy meats and cheeses, several canteens and clothes. See to it that Epona and Harden are ready to travel at a moment's notice."

Saria absorbed all the direction in, "Shall I notify Talon of all this?" She asked quizzically.

Nabooru stared at the Kokiri a few moments; not realizing the young girl actually had access to Talon. Presently she nodded, "Yes. Make sure he knows as well. We will pick him up last when it is time."

"May I come along too on this endeavor?" Impa clucked as she emerged from the corner of the room.

Scimitars were instantly drawn as Nabooru leaped across the room to seize them off the rock slab that served as a table. She stood in front of Giana who was startled awake by the sudden commotion. She began rubbing her eyes as the sleep slowly wore off.

"Mommy? What's going on?" The little girl asked groggily.

"An intruder. Stay behind me!" She commanded. The girl's eyes popped open at the sudden shift in her mother's tone. She instantly curled up backwards against the wall of the alcove; fruitlessly bundling up covers between herself and the perceived threat.

Saria flew up between the two of them; her hands out to ward off any blows Nabooru might inflict upon Impa. "No! Do not fight! She is a friend. She came with us when Link first came to the Gerudo. She has been with us ever since!"

"A spy!" Nabooru spat, advancing on Impa who seemed to unfazed at the bravado and chose to remain silent and still.

Saria buzzed angrily in Nabooru's face as she attempted to push the flying Kokiri out of her way. "Don't hurt her!"

"Leave me be Saria! I need to handle this Sheikah spy!" Nabooru shouted angrily.

Impa slammed a Deku Nut onto the ground blinding them all; Giana let out a shriek from fright at the unexpected flash bang. Impa quickly disarmed the Gerudo elder before tossing the swords off to the side; they landed with a clanging ring onto the brick floor. Impa continued calmly, "If my intent was to harm you or your daughter, I would have already done so seventy times over. It is clear to me we have to work together to assist Link."

Nabooru leaned a hand up against the wall to maintain her balance; stars were still dancing across her vision. "What makes me believe you?"

Impa simply crossed her arms, "Nothing. You either choose to believe me, or you don't." She slipped out an ocarina from the folds of her clothes, Nabooru fixated on the object as the Sheikah held it aloft. "This is a treasure of the royal family blessed by the Goddess Hylia. This is one of the key elements needed to acquire the Master Sword." Impa pointed to the dimly glowing emerald hanging around Saria's neck by a leather strap. "We have another piece right there under her possession. I heard the entire conversation. If we can get to Link and assist him in accomplishing his mission, we can be the sole deciding factor that upsets all their plans."

As much as she hated to admit it, the Sheikah had a point; fully recovered from the surprise flash, Nabooru walked over to comfort Giana. "So what is it you require of me?" She spoke evenly.

"Nothing." Impa stated flatly; deftly tucking the ocarina back into her hidden pocket. "Just continue what you are doing with Saria. Your plan does not need to be changed. Just know that I will be going with you when you leave." She paused momentarily before adding, "You are right Nabooru. There is a storm coming, and we best be ready for when it hits."

Without another word, she opened the door and vanished into the corridor. Giana meekly crawled over to the edge of the bed before acquiring Saria's attention, "Is it still too late to ask for you to play with me?" Giana asked hopefully.

Saria beamed at the adorable girl, "Of course!" She extended a hand which Giana appreciatively accepted; hopping down from the bed she ran out ahead of the Kokiri who followed her out. Saria turned around one last time to look at Nabooru; they shared a look before she rushed down the hall chasing after the wildly active child.

"Hey! Wait up Giana! You're too fast!" She opted to fly after the giggling tyke than have to run after her.

Nabooru stewed in her room for many hours before finally coming out for breakfast.


	41. Chapter 40 - The Bomber Gang

- **CHAPTER 40 – The Bomber Gang**

The morning dew rested heavily on their shared bedroll; Link looked over to see Zelda sleeping next to him, cuddled up to keep warm during the night. He had no idea how long he had been awake; the tree canopy surrounded them, sheltering the group from hostile eyes. He rolled over onto his stomach and leaned over the edge of the platform; it was suspended above the ground in the massive tree branches. It was quite an ingenious setup.

They had rumbled into the tree line in the early hours of the morning, the sky had not even begun to brighten with the coming sun. Kafei adroitly leapt off the horse before chivalrously offering his services to help Merin down to the spongy floor. The man was amazingly friendly and offered to take the baby Cyn'Taak off Zelda's hands as he directed Jim and one other child to help catch her as she slipped off her mare. Link declined the help and hopped down himself.

Kafei handed the twitching Cyn'Taak infant to the nearest child who looked particularly revolted just holding the creature. He walked directly up to Link before clasping his arm in a warm embrace before bringing him in for a full hug; Link stood rigid at the unexpected brotherly affection he was receiving. "Glad to have other people who aren't afraid to stand up to those Nevachrean brutes!" He beamed warmly as he stood back admiring Link.

"No…no problem." Link stuttered as he tried to reorient himself with the unfolding situation.

"Whoa!" Kafei jumped back as Link's horse vanished into black vapor, leaving nothing but four rotten hoof prints imprinted on the ground. "Is that normal with your horse?" He asked, slightly unnerved at the sight of a disappearing stallion.

Link scratched the back of his head, not quite sure what to say. "I'm not really sure what is going on. You see, it's not even mine." He finished sheepishly.

Kafei clapped a hand on Link's back with veneration, "Stole it then? That's okay, we don't judge here! All is fair in the war against these bastards, right?" He laughed heartily at his assertion; Link was a bit unsure about that viewpoint.

Merin interjected herself into the conversation, "Is there somewhere we can rest for the night? We are exhausted."

Kafei dashingly took her good arm and kneeled low kissing her hand reverently, "How rude of me not to extend decent hospitality to honored guests! Please, let me show you our home!"

Gently leading Merin through the five children who were busy guiding their horses into a makeshift stable made up of nothing but branches, leaves and natural foliage. Each young boy looked up smiling at them; Link and Zelda grinned back as they followed Kafei through a small opening between two oaks which had grown rather close together.

Stepping over the entwined roots, their eyes opened as they saw the most extraordinary sight. It was a grove surrounded by tightly knit trees forming a protective barrier around a central tree that stood at its center. An intricate system of pulleys and winches scaled the grand majesty of the massive oak in the center. Looking above their heads, there was a small network of wooden platforms complete with custom shelters where these boys went to sleep every night.

"You did all this?" Zelda asked amazed.

Kafei nodded before bringing Merin to the nearest hoist, "It took several cycles to complete this, but it is our home. We are proud of what we've accomplished. Please put your foot though this loop Merin." He guided her toes through the ring tied at the base of the rope resting on the grass; he slipped his foot alongside hers. "Hold onto my waist with your good arm."

She obligingly slipped one hand around his back; with a signal to Jim who unlocked one of the rotating handles situated on the ground, they began rising in the air. Merin yelped slightly as they lifted off the ground and began floating up towards the platforms in the canopy. She gripped his body tightly as he chuckled at her alarm; she gave him a dirty look. It melted the instant she saw the sincere warmth in his eyes.

Kafei smoothly set her down on the wooden planks as they reached the top; he looked back down the dizzying heights at the rest of the group. "Jim, help the others up will ya? Thanks!"

In time they all were standing around in a circle beside the massive trunk at the top of the elevated platform. Resting his hand casually on the pommel of his sword, Link complimented Kafei, "This place is amazing. I simply can't believe you've been living here under the nose of the Cyn'Taak and the Nevachreans."

Resting his fists onto his hips, Kafei took a deep, satisfying breath before replying, "Well, it wasn't easy. This grove was an extremely lucky find." He gestured around them to the circle of trunks protecting the copse. "They are so tightly compacted together the Cyn'Taak can't fit through between them; and we are so high up and secluded most of those dumb swine from Nevachrea can't even find us!"

All five of the children had removed their face scarfs; Zelda observed that all of them were young boys roughly around the age of ten cycles. Their eyes belied their physical form however; it was evident they had seen many horrors in their short life spans and it had changed them for the worse. What awful things were these kids forced to do just to survive in this mad world? One of the boys walked quietly over to Kafei and tugged on his leggings urgently.

Kafei looked down at the child with fond, fraternal love, "Yes, I hear you Ashley. You are right, it is time for bed." He looked up to Link before gesturing him to follow with a crooked finger, "We have an empty spot just for you two if you'd like."

Link and Zelda shared a brief glance; did they really make it seem obvious they were together? Link shrugged before following Kafei. They strolled across thin, unsecured planks that connected the more solid platforms against the surrounding trees; Link examined the layout and deduced it to be more of a hub and spoke design similar to a wheel found on a wagon. He was curious as to why the scrawnier, connecting boards weren't nailed down like the rest of the canopy structure. Zelda swooned slightly at traversing such a narrow walkway; one small mistake and she would be plummeting to her death.

"I know it isn't much, but I hope you find things to your satisfaction nevertheless." Kafei presented their sleeping space with a flourish. Zelda placed a hand to her lips to hide her smile; the space was quite quaint. It was nothing but the boards underfoot and a small conglomeration of greenery; twisted and curled into a small half-dome like shelter. Link promptly set his pack down; unfurling the bedroll out, measuring to ensure it would fit fully under the foliage.

Satisfied with the result, he looked up at Kafei. "Thank you so much for taking us in. I can't express how much I appreciate you for saving us back there."

Kafei swung his palm down in jolly dismissal of the compliment, "Think nothing of it! I'm just happy to save more innocents from those barbarians." He turned to Merin before offering his elbow; she looked utterly flabbergasted, she had no idea what he was expecting her to do. Seeing her confusion, he clarified, "You place your arm through mine and I will guide you to your sleeping quarters."

"Oh…right." Merin fumbled with the gesture; she was utterly lost in this new feeling of being catered to, of being treated like a real lady. As Kafei cordially led her back to the central spire of the homestead, she glanced behind to look at Link and Zelda. Her expression was one of terror; she was out of her element and had absolutely no idea how to act around this caring gentleman. The two of them laughed as they waved her on to enjoy the preferential treatment.

Kafei steered her across to another spoke; she stopped brusquely at seeing the multitude of fabrics, blankets and even a pillow already situated on the platform. Gingerly massaging her elbow she looked at him with uncertainty, "Is there someone already sleeping here?"

He looked up from fluffing the coverings to see her concern at having to take someone else's sleeping spot. "Oh, this is my bed. You are free to sleep here."

"You don't mind…sleeping with me?" She asked hesitantly; for some abnormal reason, she felt her natural instinct to jump the handsome youth oddly inappropriate.

Kafei laughed gaily at her suggestion, "No darling!" His surprising use of endearment brought a flush to her cheeks, "That would be horribly forward of me. I will bunk with one of the boys tonight. Don't worry about it."

Merin gripped one of her arms as she glanced off; suddenly shy about the whole situation but not sure why she should be. "I don't mind…honest."

"You are funny." Kafei said, brushing off her clear invitation.

Somewhat miffed at the rejection, she disregarded her initial response and let him cross the thin plank back to the hub; whistling as he meandered over to one of the other children's bedspreads. Merin didn't know exactly what had come over her; the youth's calm, charming demeanor had completely won her over, nullifying her rational sense. She carefully slipped under the blankets, making sure her sprained elbow was in a position it wouldn't hurt during the night. The last thing she remembered before passing out was the scent of dragon lilies.

Link felt something prick his back, jolting him out of his reverie; his eyes opened in alarm. He twirled over screaming at the infant Cyn'Taak who had perched itself on his spine. The repugnant thing went flying off before hitting the wood in a barrel roll; a small yelp emerged from the surprised creature. Zelda looked over to see Link breathing heavily as he stared at the infant Cyn'Taak; its cries of hunger broke the early morning calm.

"Where did that thing come from?!" Link exclaimed nervously.

Both Link and Zelda jerked their heads back to look behind them as Jim walked up to explain, "I thought it was your pet. Kind of odd to have one of those things around, but hey, who am I to judge? So I put it at the back of the covering for you while you slept."

Zelda's mouth dropped open, "You did what?"

"I could have been killed!" Link yelled, getting angrier by the second at what Jim did.

The boy threw his hands up in the air in surrender, "Hey, hey, hey! Don't get upset. Those things aren't truly dangerous until they reach a few orbits of age; right now that thing probably has not a single drop of venom in its body!"

Link's breathing began to calm down from his near hyperventilation; so that was why nothing bad happened when he felt the prick of the creature's tail. That made things a lot easier in handling the infant Cyn'Taak knowing that they didn't have to be so careful with its sharp barb; it still might hurt if it struck someone, but at least the venom was not there to harm your innards.

Link perceived that it was agonizingly hungry; its pitiful gurgles made Zelda's heart melt. "Is there anything we can do for the poor thing?" Zelda inquired of Kafei who had come over due to the commotion.

Link swiveled his head in her direction, "What? You want to feed this thing?"

Zelda sat up straight as she gave him a stern look, "Well, of course! We stole it from its mother, got her killed, so now we are responsible for it!"

Link was about to contest that course of action when Kafei intervened, "I know just the thing to satisfy that little tyke! Both of you; come follow me." After a brief pause, "And bring that thing with you too."

Presently they all made it safely back to the ground utilizing the intricate pulley and weight system the children had devised; the smell of roasting sausage and other delicious scents was wafting through the air. They practically followed their noses to the crackling campfire over which was placed a resourceful metal grill held up by stakes. On top of the metal were several slabs of meat sizzling alongside a frying pan with several cracked eggs cooking.

Merin was already down by the fire enjoying her breakfast as she laughed and joked with several of the boys. She looked up as they approached and waved, "These boys are hilarious Zander! They have some of the funniest jokes!"

Zelda smiled at the woman; it seemed her arm had recovered well during the night. She turned her head to Kafei, "You boys are really creative. It truly is incredible what you did here with very little." She complimented.

Kafei accepted her praise graciously, "Thank you Zander." Catching on to her name quickly from Merin. "Please sit down wherever you like by the fire. One of my boys will serve you."

He assisted her down on the nearby stump they utilized as a stool; the young boy, she recalled his name being Ashley, came over shyly before handing her a plate with steaming breakfast. "Thank you." Zelda said. The boy merely blushed, smiled and ran back to the fire to grab Link his food.

Link regarded Kafei as he confidently sauntered over to a corpse; at first glance it looked to be a freshly caught deer. It appeared he had been hunting early this morning; they had already carved chunks of flesh off its flank, it was probably what they were eating. Clasping a bowl in one hand, he quickly brought out a dagger with the other and sliced the neck of the carcass. Quickly placing the bowl under the flowing blood gushing out of its neck, he captured a good amount into it.

Zelda was slightly intimidated when he placed the bloody bowl in front of her; she looked up into his eyes, "What do you want me to do?"

Kafei grinned at her convivially, "You wanted to feed this thing, right? I'll show you how."

Link swiftly swallowed a piece of deliciously spiced meat before speaking, "You've done this sort of thing before?"

Kafei turned his eyes onto Link, "Not personally no, but I know what those creatures need to survive."

Guiding Zelda by the hand, he brought her over to the squirming Cyn'Taak child; its tail was flipping around frantically. Its eyes had not fully lost its milky film; it was still unable to see and was wailing for someone to feed it. Kafei instructed her to set the bowl down for the hysterical creature; together they helped guide the blind infant towards the bowl. Kafei had to physically place the snout into the blood before it sensed that there was actually food there. Within seconds it was greedily lapping up the frothy liquid with sickening slurps.

Zelda shivered slightly at how disgusting they were, even as babies. Deciding to leave the child alone to its meal, she walked back to her stump wondering why she felt the urge to take responsibility for that thing. Kafei swept past her and snatched up a plate Ashley offered him, after a quick thanks he moved over to an opposing stump before sitting down comfortably.

"I must apologize for not introducing everyone here early this morning; it was late and we all needed our rest. Now that we've gotten comfy here, how about we go around the circle?" Kafei suggested, gesturing towards the group indicating they needed to start first.

Link began initially, "To tell you the truth, I grew up in the Lost Woods northeast of here among the Kokiri. I left of my own volition and found my place among the Hylians of Kakariko Village." He omitted a lot of information; cautious in revealing too much to people he barely knew.

Zelda followed his lead by providing as little as possible, "I was born in Hyrule's capital but moved into Kakariko Village where I met Link." Link shot an askance look as he realized she was lying heavily; an expression that was not lost on Kafei.

Merin chimed in, happily enjoying their company, "I'm from the desert to the west. I'm a Gerudo and I am escorting these two." She indicated Link and Zelda before she shoveled down another spoonful of egg.

Kafei placed a palm across his chest, "I'm Kafei as you probably know by now. I am the leader of this small band you see here. We grew up together in a small town located in the Ordon province. We're not related at all, but we're like family now. We used to call ourselves the Bomber Gang! Since I was the oldest of the group, I was naturally the leader." He gestured to the boy nearest him, "And this is my second in command, as it were." He smiled warmly.

The boy waved his hand vigorously; he had placed over his head a red bandana which covered his brown, tangled mass of hair, "I'm Jim! I help take care of this place and make sure all the horses are well fed and taken care of."

The kid next to him attempted a weak wave before speaking; nervously running his hand through his blond hair, "My name is Ivan. I help Kafei with hunting down the food to help. I also know how to brush down the horses." He sniffed noisily through his rather pug-like nose.

The next one in line smiled at each of them before hopping off his stump and shaking hands with each of them; Zelda had to laugh at his excitable manner. "My name is Toby! Glad to meet all of ya! I'm the cook of the group. I make very fine foods! Do you know how to cook?" He looked at each of them eagerly in turn; his expression faded as he realized that he was the only one who had the talent. He scurried back to his seating arrangement with a sigh.

The fourth boy was slightly off-putting; he jerked his head to glare at Kafei, "Why do we have to let girls stay here?"

Kafei shot him a look, "You stop that right now Clarence! These are our guests! Besides, with them here, we can finally attempt the operation we have been planning for orbits! Do you just want to throw away their help?"

Link began to interject, "Well, I wouldn't be so sure about that. We'd have to first figure out-"

Kafei held up a hand to stop him from speaking further, he turned back to Clarence, "Girls or not, we should treat them nicely. Yes?"

Clarence crossed his arms furiously as he pouted; puffing away the red bangs away from his eyes, "Whatever."

Kafei threw his arms up in frustration, "Again, I am sorry for Clarence. He is the mechanical genius here." He indicated the pulley and winch systems. "He helped create those and maintains them daily. Without him, we wouldn't have any place to call home."

Zelda indicated the final brown-haired boy on the end who was sitting amazingly quiet and still. "What about you, what was your name again?" She smiled warmly at him; he simply blushed and looked away without saying a word.

"That is Ashley, he is mute." Kafei explained; upon seeing the pitying look on her face he proceeded to clarify, "Oh, not like that. He was very talkative when he was younger."

"Did something happen?" Link probed; he knew a perfectly healthy child like Ashley wouldn't just stop speaking for no reason.

Kafei looked down undecided on how best to explain, at length he retold the story, "As I said earlier, we were all born in a small village in the Ordon province. The Nevachrean army invaded our home seven cycles ago; we didn't stand a chance. I was out hunting with Ivan at the time when we spotted smoke back at the town. We managed to get back in time to rescue Jim, Toby and Clarence. Unfortunately we couldn't get to Ashley in time." Zelda gasped as she imagined the worst.

Kafei continued, "The soldiers knocked him down; he played dead so they wouldn't harm him further. We were watching from the tree line; we saw he was awake the entire time the slaughter was happening. His own parents were murdered in front of him." Merin inhaled suddenly at the brutality of it. "Mistaking him for a dead corpse, they dragged him to the pile they had built in the center of the town. They packed down the dead villagers on top of Ashley as they set fire to them and every building in the village."

"I went in quickly to drag him out of there and escape with the gang. Ever since then he has not spoken a single word." Kafei finished with a ragged breath.

Link nodded in understanding, "I don't blame him. We've all lost people in this war."

"Indeed." An unnatural look of anger flashed across Kafei's face at the remembrance of his beloved. "For orbits we searched for a way to make it to Kakariko Village. I had a fiancée there, her name was Anju. By the time we reached the town, it had been devastated; all of its men, women and children were slaughtered." Seemingly lost in his own thoughts, Link looked on concerned as Kafei's breathing became labored. "And then I saw her; sprawled out behind the chicken coop, sliced up and bloody. They had raped her, mutilated her, and then killed her. And for what?! Their own selfish desires?"

Several tears began streaming down his face; angry at his outburst, he wiped them away viciously. "I'm sorry. It is sometimes hard to remember the past." He brought out a dragon lily from within the folds of his lavender tunic; he twirled it around, marveling at its simple beauty. "Now all I have of her are the memories we shared."

They all ate the rest of their breakfast in silence.


	42. Chapter 41 - Lingering Doubt

- **CHAPTER 41 – Lingering Doubt**

They had spent the better part of the day going over meticulous plans that Kafei and his crew had devised. Sprawled out over the nearest stump was a scroll of parchment with which a crude map was drawn out on its surface. Kafei was leaning over it, studying it intently with the bangs of his violet hair hanging down. He looked up to see Link coming over to investigate what he was up to; he smiled as he motioned for Link to come see the operational plan.

"I'm overjoyed to see fellow Freedom Fighters in these dark times." Kafei began happily, "This is something remarkable that Toby has provided us."

He gestured to the drawing laid out on the wood; Link glossed over it. It appeared to be a highly detailed map of a walled town. "Is this something you took or was it made by Toby?" Link prodded.

Out of nowhere, the excitable youngster bounded from beyond the central tree and skipped over to the two of them. "It was me! Aren't you amazed at my awesome drawing skills?!" He asked animatedly.

Kafei laughed at the boy's antics, "Indeed. This little bugger snuck his way into the town all by himself without us knowing one night! He evaded the Nevachrean guards and mapped the entire place out on this parchment! He is my favorite spy!"

"Ha! I'm your only spy!" Toby rebuked, sticking a tongue out at Kafei.

Kafei ruffled his hair lovingly, "All the more reason for me to be protective! Go on, get!" He said, feigning anger at the elated boy. "Link and I have to talk about some adult stuff now!"

Toby cackled as he dashed off; Link shook his head at the amount of energy the little boy had. "So you said freedom fighters? Aren't you the Bomber Gang?" Link quizzically asked.

Kafei raised a finger in correction, "No longer. We are the Freedom Fighters of Hyrule. Our goal is to take back the land that was desecrated and to protect those Hylians still left that are innocent. This village here," he indicated the map, "is but one of many Nevachrean strongholds that must be stamped out."

Link wanted to be sure of the overall plan, "Are there any women and children in that town?"

Kafei paused briefly before responding, "Not that I have seen. Only the horsemen we encountered last night go in and out of those gates. I do not know what their purpose is for being here, but it seems they are assaulting caravans filled with goods and taking it for themselves; we need to put a stop to it." He nodded his head in firm conviction.

"So what's the plan then?" Link offered; eager to be done with this mission so he could rescue Malon from the clutches of these evil men.

Kafei's face lit up with enthusiasm as he dove into the tactical scenario, "Well, my boys will assault the front gates from a distance so that they can launch their arrows into the compound without exposing themselves greatly. Utilizing them as a distraction, you, me, Zander and Merin can vault over the backside of the town here." He pointed to a rather odd looking corner section of the village. "There are some prepositioned bales of hay we put there a few moons ago. We can utilize those to hike ourselves over the pike wall. Our goal is to make it around the perimeter of the village to the main gates; take out the guards there and open it up for my crew to surge in and all of us bring the entire town to its knees."

Link glanced over to see Kafei's eyes burn with intensity, "So we bring the men to justice and then what? We are going to save Malon too, yes?" He wanted to be sure to voice where his overall motives lay.

The look evaporated as Kafei turned to beam at Link, "Of course. We will save your bonny lass from their evil clutches!" He laughed jovially.

Link couldn't help but chuckle at his good nature, despite talking about these serious matters. "So how long have you known these boys?" Link inquired.

Kafei sniffed before looking off in the direction of several of the youth; most of which were playing some form of cards. "Honestly? Since they were born; I knew their mothers and fathers. Our town was a tight knit group where everyone knew everybody."

"Those communities are the best." Link mused; reminiscing his time with the Kokiri.

"I agree." Kafei nodded in agreement. "There was no crime, no strife, just pure love for one another. We lived off the land and tended the cattle and sheep; our major export from our town was furs and robust cheeses from our cows." He snickered as he recalled the competition, "Well, that was before Lon Lon Ranch was set up closer to Hyrule Castle than us. The majority of our product lost its value since then. Not that I was bitter about it," Kafei corrected upon seeing a look from Link, "it was just business. I understand that. What about you? You mentioned you grew up with the Kokiri."

Link beamed at being asked to talk about his former kinsfolk, "Yes, I was left in the care of the Kokiri by my mother. She died of the wounds inflicted upon her by the previous war with Nevachrea." Kafei cursed an oath as he impressed a hand on Link's shoulder in comfort. "It's okay. I grew up happy there; granted I was ridiculed to no end by the other Kokiri for not having a fairy." Link smirked.

Kafei cocked his head interested at this twist, Link continued, "Every Kokiri is born and a fairy soon comes to them; they are then forever soul mates. Companions unto death if need be, except that Kokiri never grow old and thus never die by natural causes. One day when I was nine cycles old, a fairy came to me; her name was Navi. Outside of Saria, one of the few Kokiri who never teased me, she was my best friend. The one person I could talk to and share my deepest thoughts and feelings."

"What happened to Navi?" Kafei asked, concerned as Link's countenance fell upon speaking her name.

"That's the thing. I don't know!" A small, glistening tear formulated at the corner of his eye. "One day, she just left me without saying a word. I was ten cycles old. I've tried looking for her since, but have been unable to find her."

"That's tough man." Kafei consoled weakly. "So where are the Kokiri now?"

Link looked away roughly, "Dead. All but Saria, the one Kokiri I managed to save."

A distorted look of rage crossed Kafei's face as he heard this appalling news, "It was those despicable swine, wasn't it?!" At Link's confirmation, Kafei stormed off a few paces, violently kicking an idle rock. "Why can't they leave well enough alone?!" He yelled, causing some of the boys to look up from their game nervously.

He waved them down to assure he wasn't mad at them; they resumed their playful game as if nothing happened. Kafei surged back to Link, "I do apologize for my outburst. Sometimes I can get quite heated at the injustices I see in this world. It appears we've both lost people dear to our hearts to this war." He brought Link around to face him; holding each shoulder firmly in each hand. "That makes us brothers in arms, ok? We won't stop until we take back Hyrule for the ones we love!"

They brought their heads together, sharing this moment of camaraderie; at length they parted smiling, each feeling a lot better. "I have to organize a few things in my pack and figure out what I'm going to need to bring with me." Link explained.

Kafei nodded as he watched Link ascend into the treetops through the pulley system, "Don't forget, we leave at dusk!" Kafei shouted at him.

He shook his head in relief; things were finally starting to come together for their plan. With extra manpower at their backs, the impending raid looked like it would actually be feasible. Sighing, he walked over to the three boys and sat down on the vacant stump before asking what the game was.

Zelda had left the sleeping Merin up top in the canopy; she was still resting from her injured arm. She claimed it would be fully healed by evening and that she would be able to contribute. Zelda was skeptical about her assertion but let the matter drop. As she descended to the forest floor; a light fluttering resounded in her chest. She was not fully used to the intricate system the youth had in place here; she still got dizzy from the heights at which they slept.

Not meaning to snoop, Zelda was curious about what else they had here at the camp. She began to wander over to the makeshift stable; it was a clever design of firm branches curved in an arc, each shaft pitched into the ground by tied off stakes. As covering for the horses, the boys had placed multitudes of fern fronds, foliage branches and other materials to keep out the elements. It was also placed ingeniously between several trees so that if you weren't looking for it, it would effectively blend in with the environment.

She stepped into the enclosure feeling the drastic change in temperature past the threshold; the six stallions were generating a lot of heat, there was no worry of them getting cold during the night. Zelda ran her hands across their luxurious fur as she threaded through them, she reached the back of the structure feeling quite at peace.

Zelda noticed an odd stack of branches and fronds heaped in an awkward mound in the far corner. Curiosity got the best of her; she paced over to the pile and knelt to the ground to get a closer look. Lifting up some of the greenery, she was surprised to see multitudes of clothes, swords, bows, boots and other personal items. Was this their stash of plunder they retrieved from the Nevachreans?

"What are you doing here?" Zelda yipped, startled at the harsh voice behind her.

"Don't scare me like that!" She exhaled unevenly as Clarence came stomping up to her; his arms crossed in defiance at her gender.

"You're not supposed to be in here with the horses. Get out!" The rude boy shouted.

"Excuse me? You need to have some more manners!" Zelda started, standing up to her full height; her long since forgotten royal instincts kicking in. She was about to launch into a tirade against this disrespectful brat.

"I don't need to have nothing! You aren't my mom!" Clarence spat.

"That's enough!" A voice boomed from the entrance of the enclosure; Kafei stormed in before roughly grabbing the irritated boy by the scruff of his collar. "What did I tell you about being nice to ladies?!" With a quick shove outside, the boy stamped off scowling.

"Is he always like this?" Zelda asked flummoxed.

Kafei's attention lingered on the irate boy a few moments more before turning to Zelda, "I'm afraid not darling." Zelda checked her expression at the pet name, "I don't know what's gotten into Clarence. Granted, there haven't been any girls here since we first escaped from Ordon; so I didn't really know he was capable of being so rude. I do apologize for him."

Zelda smirked, "You apologize way too much for things that aren't your fault. You are not their parent; they are responsible for their own actions now."

He laughed at her allegation, "I think you may be right, but sometimes I feel like one to them. That I have to protect them, ya know?"

"Understood." Zelda settled; she looked over at the heaping mound of valuables. "So what is all this?"

Kafei glanced over at the pile, "Oh that? Those are things we've claimed back from those barbarians. Some I recognize as belonging to folks who used to live with us in our village. One day, I hope to return all this stuff back to their rightful owners, if not to someone more deserving than brutes." Shaking off the thoughts swirling in his head, he extended an elbow to Zelda, "Shall we head out? I think it's about feeding time again."

Trembling faintly at the prospect of nourishing the disgusting Cyn'Taak, she gracefully accepted his outstretched limb. "So tell me about Anju." Kafei gave her a look of surprise at the sudden broach of topic. "Tell me how she was and how you two met."

Slowly making their way over to the far side of the grove, Kafei began slowly. "My father was the mayor of the small village of Ordona. We were a major exporter of furs and cheese."

"Cheese?" Zelda asked dubiously. "Was it the smelly kind?"

He laughed, "As a matter of fact, it was!"

"Oh, I loved that kind. We would so rarely get it. Most others I knew didn't care much for it, but the taste was absolutely delectable!" Zelda's mind relished the thought of eating that wonderful cheese again.

"At least we are on some common ground there." Kafei chuckled. "Well, one day I was tasked to deliver furs to one of our biggest clients in Kakariko Village. After my delivery, I decided to explore the place; I had never been there and I was highly interested in what it was all about. It was then that I saw her; she was sneezing her brains out trying to handle these chickens."

"Chickens?" Zelda giggled.

"Yes! Chickens! She couldn't handle holding them. She would always call them her little 'Cuccos.' I walked over asking why she was forcing herself to do something she was allergic to." Kafei explained, his face lightening up at the recollection. "She told me that was her family trade; she didn't know how to do anything else!"

"So was it the big, honking sneezes?" Zelda grinned.

Kafei guffawed heartily, "Yes! The big, honking ones!" He made a gesture of a huge spew coming out of his mouth; throwing his whole body into the motion. They both laughed at the ridiculousness of it.

Presently they came to the sleeping infant; it had its scorpion tail wrapped around its body for warmth. A low gurgle issued from its nose with every breath it took. Kafei picked up a pouch of blood hanging from hooks he had pounded into the tree earlier that day; he had drained the remainder of the deer and separated it into individual meals for the creature. He was surprisingly thoughtful for the beast.

Transferring the blood into the bowl they had used earlier, he continued his story. "Every chance I got, I would come up to Kakariko to visit Anju on my deliveries. We would spend afternoons overlooking the town by the windmill. It was there on that rise where dragon lilies grew."

The Cyn'Taak brayed worriedly as Kafei gently shook it awake; he guided it to the bowl again before dipping its snout into the blood. Satisfied as it began drinking, he resumed. "It was discovered that the scent of dragon lilies dispelled her allergic reaction when handling her chickens. So one day, I decided to make a small bouquet of flowers fashioned into a pin she could wear on her blouse." He tapped the left side of his chest. "That way, whenever she could feel her sneezes coming, she just had to sniff her pin. It also helped remind her of me." Kafei smiled warmly.

"That was very sweet of you." Zelda said admiringly.

A slight red flushed to his cheeks, "It was nothing. Anyone would have done that for the one they love."

"Not everyone." Zelda beamed knowingly.

Kafei's expression wilted, "We were due to be married the next orbit. It never happened." Zelda placed a calming hand on his back; he bobbed his head trying to forget the hurt. Quickly changing subjects he indicated the Cyn'Taak. "So are you really planning on keeping him?"

"It's actually a her." Zelda corrected.

He cocked an eyebrow at her firm stance on the matter, "How do you know that?" He smirked.

Her eyes popped as she realized what he was implying; she dared not dignify that with a worthwhile response. "I don't know." She said flatly.

Kafei laughed, slightly spooking the feeding infant; it cried once before resuming its sordid meal. "I'm sorry, that was rather bold of me to insinuate. Have you come up with any names for it?" He pressed ahead as he saw the quizzical look, "If you plan on keeping her, then you have name it, right?"

Her mind piqued at the thought, she turned to the slurping beast and stared long and hard at it. So many options and names to choose from; but what would ultimately fit something so outside of her realm of experience? After a good deal of thought, the perfect name slotted right into place; for some odd reason if fit the Cyn'Taak so well, she couldn't really explain why.

"Xavier." She spoke with a calm whisper.

"Really?" Kafei looked genuinely surprised. "Why that?"

"It was the middle name of my grandmother." Zelda said; slowly peeling back the layers of her memory.

Putting a hand to his hips as he turned to her, Kafei asked with obvious interest, "What do you remember about her?"

"Just a little bit. She died when I was very young." She narrowed her eyes trying to recall.

"Is that all you remember about her?" Kafei pressed.

"Just images really, feelings. She was very beautiful. Kind, but sad. Why are you asking me this?" Zelda probed.

Kafei looked down with remorse, "I have no memory of my grandmother; nor of my mother. She died in childbirth; I was the cause of her death." He gritted his teeth mercilessly.

Zelda's heart broke to see him in such pain. Kafei had a wonderfully joyous exterior, but deep inside was a lot of pain and hurt. She wondered if there was any way to truly heal his fractured soul. "That was not your fault; being born isn't your fault. Your parents wanted you."

"I realize that." Kafei shrugged; trying hard to ignore his emotions. He looked up at the reddening sky through the canopy. "It is almost time; I suggest you get ready for the evening. Wake up Merin. We leave within the hour." Giving her one last smile; he jogged over to the nearest rope and ascended into the treetops.

"May the Goddesses watch over your heart Kafei." Zelda intoned softly. She slowly walked back to the central tree, deep in thought.


	43. Chapter 42 - The Nature of Ingo

_This was a unique chapter to write; I wanted to create a rather interesting conflict over the course of the next few chapters that would shape several characters for the remainder of Act 2. There will be a lot of death and things will not turn out as one would hope; but it is for the sake of the greater story. I hope everyone enjoys this new side of Ingo that I am presenting here. As for Lloyd's conversation, I actually pulled it from a similar conversation I had with my 4 year old son, so having Lloyd speak in just the same way was not much of a stretch. I read a review stating a 'theory' that Kafei is Link's Terminian counterpart; after researching into it, there simply is not enough proof for that theory to hold any water. So, the Kafei I am presenting in THIS story is the OOT counterpart to MM's Kafei. They are not one and the same person; likewise with the Bomber Gang._

- **CHAPTER 42 – The Nature of Ingo**

Malon had rested the majority of that day; too weak to do much else, she laid in bed enjoying the sun streaming in from the window. She discovered they had stripped her naked; she noticed her shredded clothes draping over the nearby chair, a huge gash down the front. Did they have to do that to fix her? She figured they didn't do anything sexual towards her, so for that she was thankful.

The shock of seeing Ingo after eight long cycles had been quite a blow to Malon; her mind was still reeling from the absurdity of it. When Link came back from the future, as he always liked to tell it, one of the first things he did was identify Ingo as a liar and a cheat. Indeed the man had been embezzling money on the side off of every delivery they had made. Within short order, Talon fired him from the position and sent him packing; the only decent thing they did was provide him a horse and some provisions for wherever he was to go next. Talon didn't really care, as long as it wasn't at Lon Lon Ranch.

She had awoken again; time was fuzzy and she had no idea how long she had been passed out. A woman was sitting on the chair with a bowl of oatmeal; seeing Malon awake, she moved closer and began spooning the food in with a motherly touch. Malon could barely lift her head up, so the woman helped prop her upper body. Grimacing as she was moved into a position that felt worse than simply lying down; Malon eventually accepted each spoonful.

"Who are you?" Malon asked, speech coming much easier to her now.

The woman smiled as she dipped the spoon back into the oatmeal, "Orauna. I believe you've met my husband already." She spoke warmly.

Malon spluttered as food spewed out of her mouth at the woman's reveal; she began coughing so hard the woman had to set the bowl down to assist Malon. The pain in her chest was excruciating. "You…are married to Ingo?!" She yelled mystified.

Orauna's smile never left her face, "Yes. He is a good man. We've been married for six cycles now. Did you know him before?" She asked inquisitively.

Gratefully accepting another spoonful of the delicious porridge, Malon answered, "You could say that. He once worked for my father at Lon Lon Ranch to the north of here. He was fired for stealing money from us."

Orauna cocked her head at this, "That honestly doesn't sound like him." She shook her head briefly, "Even if it was true, he is not that way anymore." She placed another spoonful in Malon's mouth before she had a chance to offer a rebuttal. She pressed on, "He is the mayor of our small town and does right by its people."

"What does he do now?" Malon prodded.

"He helps protect this town from the bandits and army sympathizers. If you want to know more, you will have to ask him. He is looking forward to speaking to you again when you are better." Orauna informed.

Malon examined Ingo's wife with a critical eye; she wasn't pretty by any means, but she was still very comely. She sported strawberry blonde hair that curled at her shoulders; her eyes were a dusty shade of brown, complete with a button nose. She was wearing a full length blue dress with white frills along the bottom and at the arm openings; it was buttoned down to the middle of the chest. It was simple, yet elegant; fitting for the wife of the mayor. The most notable point of interest was her swollen belly; Malon guessed she was at least seven orbits pregnant.

"You are with child." Malon pointed out.

Orauna beamed, rubbing her belly, "Yes, it is to be our second child. Our first is Lloyd. He will be seven cycles old in just a few orbits; he can't wait."

Taking another mouthful, Malon leaned back completely bewildered. Ingo was now a family man? The thought had never occurred to her that it could even happen. The only memories she had of him was of a cantankerous, creepy man who would leer and yell at her constantly. He was very disagreeable and always looked shifty, no matter what he was doing. This new side to the man was quite foreign to Malon.

"How many families are there here?" She asked.

Orauna slipped in the final mouthful, "Ten families. There are a lot of men and young boys here." Her expression wilted, "Although that number was considerably reduced last night. A lot of good men died yesterday."

Malon vaguely remembered some sort of skirmish while she was fading in and out of consciousness. "What happened?"

Orauna shook her head as she held out a hand for Malon to stop; tears were coming to the woman's eyes. "I'm sorry; the pain is still too near." She got up and moved the chair back to the wall and began heading out. She stopped at the door before turning to look at Malon again, "I don't know who your friends are, but consider yourself saved. Ingo did you a favor bringing you here." Without explaining herself, she swept out of the room.

How long ago had that conversation been? Malon had fallen asleep once more. A small poking at her arm woke her. She turned her head to see a young boy with dirty brown hair; he was staring at her with obvious interest. Something about his facial features reminded her of Ingo; at length she decided it was Lloyd. He smiled at seeing her awake; the warmth in his eyes comforted her greatly. To still see such innocence in this mad world was refreshing; Malon missed her little sister.

"Are you a fairy?" Lloyd asked excitedly, never taking his eyes off from hers.

She smiled, humoring him, "What makes you say that?"

His eyes flicked nervously down the bed before riveting back onto her face, "Um…well…because I heard fairies never wear any clothes."

Malon jerked her head to look down and saw that her chest was exposed; she must has tussled the covers partially off while she was sleeping. She quickly brought the covers back up to her neck; she giggled slightly, wincing at the pain it caused before replying to the boy. "No, I'm not a fairy. I'm just a girl from Hyrule."

"I like you." Lloyd stated. It wasn't exactly a compliment; it was just a fact to him. "Will you marry me when I'm older?" He asked.

Malon suppressed the urge to laugh because it would hurt too much. "You are cute, but I think I'm a bit too old for you."

Undaunted by her refusal, the strong headed boy continued, "Well I can grow older! Mommy always said that boys and girls grow every day. One day, I'll be as tall as you!" He finished with a confident smile. His innocence was infectious; Malon had missed that these past few moons.

"True." She grinned at the delightful boy, "But what if I already have a husband? Like your mommy has with daddy? You'd need to find someone else."

Completely missing the point, Lloyd pressed onward, "Well he could just stay at home while I take you riding on horseback!"

"You're cute." She reached over to ruffle his hair.

He frantically waved her hand away from his head, "Stop! Mommy does that all the time and I hate it!"

Malon merely smirked. "So you like horses, do you?"

Lloyd practically quivered with excitement at being asked about his favorite pastime. "I do! I really, really do! Daddy lets me brush his horse and feed it! Its tongue feels so funny when I feed it apples." His eyes aglow with the remembrance.

"I have a horse too." Malon revealed, "He is a handsome stallion. I raised him from the time he was first born. His name is Harden."

Lloyd's eyes bulged, "Will you take me riding on your horse when we're married?!" The boy asked elatedly.

Malon wheezed softly, it was the only way she could laugh without hurting her chest, "We're not getting married, but I can definitely take you for a ride on him."

The boy beamed from ear to ear. A gruff voice from the doorway shot the boy to attention, "Lloyd! Give that woman some space! Go on, get outside!"

Ingo stalked in through the doorway and aggressively pointed a finger out to the hall. The boy gave one, last wistful look at Malon before trudging past his father. Content with his son's obedience, Ingo turned to give a glaring look at her. He paced over to the chair before dragging it gratingly across the floor; placing it directly next to her bed, he plopped down unceremoniously onto it. The chair creaked under his weight; Ingo had gained a few more pounds than when she last saw him.

His tangled mess of brown hair was only matched by his slovenly shaved mustache; it extended beyond the bounds of his lips and was quite comical looking. Ingo had a gangly appearance despite the extra pounds; he was not thin by any means. Draped over his protruding beer belly was a plain, brown shirt overlaid with a fur vest that buttoned in the middle via leather ties. A pair of white tights completed the entire debacle with muddy, black leather boots.

Leaning back against the chair with one arm resting over the back, he leered at her for a few moments. "I have to admit," Ingo graveled, "I was quite surprised to see you here, of all places, after so many cycles."

Malon, slightly unnerved, spoke, "How did you know it was me?"

Ingo scoffed as he gestured to her hair, "No Hylian has that shade of red. A Gerudo is the only person I know of that could be born with that hair color. And you did not look like any Gerudo I've seen. It wasn't hard to guess who you were."

An unsettling thought flashed across her mind; she hesitantly ventured, "Did…did you do anything to me…while I was…?"

Snorting with scorn, he barked, "You mean: did I rape you while you were asleep? Oh Malon, if I had wanted to do that, you would have been raped ten times over. Not to say you aren't pretty to look at." Ingo sneered at this comment, looking upon her covered form.

Instinctively, Malon brought the covers up tighter around her at this seeming violation of her dignity. "What did you want of me?" Malon asked apprehensively.

"You? Nothing…unless you know where your father is; where is he these days? I do wish to speak to him." He chortled with an undercurrent of menace.

Malon decided it best not to reveal the whole situation to Ingo, "We split ways after a time. I was traveling with someone down here."

"You mean Link?" Ingo stated; clearly startling Malon at his knowledge. "Don't take me for a fool Malon. I recognized the brat the moment I spotted his sandy blonde hair; like I could forget the face of the person who changed the direction of my life." He huffed. "So he's your sex buddy now, eh?" He sneered.

"What…?" Malon stuttered, trying to make sense of his accusation.

"Oh, don't be so modest. It's okay to tell the truth, we're all friends here aren't we?" Ingo simpered. "You two both eloped; you ran away from your father with him. Is that how it went?" He laughed manically as she vehemently shook her head at his allegations.

"Either tell me about why you came or just leave me alone." Malon demanded with false conviction; she just wanted the torment to end. Her lungs were starting to hurt again.

Ingo went silent for a few minutes looking at the wall; seemingly lost in indecision. At length he spoke; his tone noticeably softer, "I guess to talk to someone who knew me for how I used to be. Nobody here would understand where I'd be coming from; nobody but you."

Malon eyed him warily, but decided to be still and let him continue. "I have to actually thank you and Link for getting me fired." Her eyebrows rose at this unexpected compliment. "The economy of Nevachrea had tanked, so I had originally come to Hyrule looking for work and a new life. I truly believed I had found it at Lon Lon Ranch; unfortunately it was run by an incompetent proprietor who couldn't keep his damn ledger straight!"

"Excuse me?" Malon gasped; offended at the insinuation he was making of her father.

Ingo's eyes flared as he jabbed a finger at her, "You better shut that pretty, little trap of yours before I change my mind how we treat you!" Pleased with cowing her, he surged onward, "As I was saying, everything I had done for Lon Lon Ranch was for the betterment of the business! For ten, damn cycles I slaved away for that abominable man! Talon refused to see my talents and always had me doing menial tasks; me, Ingo!"

He let loose a note of disgust; with a wave of his hand, his expression drained. "No matter; I was out of a job and was wandering lost in what I was to do with my life. Since I was a Nevachrean, born and raised, I felt it prudent to head back down south to restart. I traveled as far southeast as the capital of my country; it was nothing like I had expected it to be." Ingo grimaced at the thought. "A state of martial law had been instated in Glaun'rung. The army had been poised for war and was on the move; there was nothing there for me but to join their ranks."

Ingo scoffed at this notion, "I knew it wasn't for me; I was not going to throw away my life for some stupid cause! So I came here to Yolland, my home of birth. Very few people recognized me as I came riding in on my horse; provisions nearly gone and dehydrated. They tended to me and brought me back to good health. In time, I met my wife, Orauna. Within a cycle we were married and had our first child, Lloyd."

A genuine smile crossed his face; it was so alien for his face that it looked almost odd being there. "To tell you the truth Malon, if it weren't for you and Link, I would not have my family. They are truly the light of my life."

"You're welcome?" Malon responded diffidently.

"Did you like my son?" Ingo asked abruptly.

Malon nodded her head vigorously; afraid to upset this potentially volatile man. "So, why were you attacking us?" She could deduce what had happened last night; eager to change the subject.

His face frowned at her question, "Yolland has been fortunate for the past seven cycles; we have managed to evade the eyes of the army. They have left us well enough alone. In time, ambassadors and messengers have visited our town and requested materials and aid to the cause; many folks believed assisting this dangerous endeavor would be the death to our families."

"What did you do?" Malon grilled.

"The only thing we could do; I helped establish a militia and trained every able bodied man and youth who could fight. We noted several caravans from neighboring towns traveling to the frontlines to deliver weapons, provisions and other war necessities. Our ultimate goal was to intercept these deliveries and return the goods to their rightful owners. We had been succeeding for the last two cycles. Last night, we mistook you for part of the main army." Ingo explained.

"Why did you just take me?" Malon probed; a bit afraid of what the answer could be.

Ingo grunted at her anxiety, "Our intention was to take you all in and interrogate as to why you were there to begin with; if you aren't with the Nevachrean army, who are you with?"

They had gotten to the crux of the matter at last, "We aren't with them." Malon assured him quickly.

"I figured as much." Ingo said; crossing his arms. "No matter, I have a feeling that boy will come for you eventually. Maybe we can talk then about the true purpose of why you are here in Nevachrea."

Malon lightly bit her lower lip before tentatively asking, "Are…you like them?" Seeing his inquisitorial gaze, she clarified, "Are you unable to die?"

Ingo bellowed out a hearty laugh, nearly making Malon leap from the bed in fright. He fought heavily to control his amusement in-between words, "Goodness, no! I know exactly what you mean though. That is something that is not natural to our people; I honestly have no idea how they do it. What we do know is how to kill them; you must make sure not a single piece of them is left. The easiest way is to burn the bodies, but you must be quick about it!" He sniggered.

His shoulders slumped as if a great weight had been relieved after having divulged his life story to her. Suddenly, a horn resonated through the window; Ingo's eyes snapped outside, eyeing the dwindling sunlight as it bowed below the western mountains. He swore an oath as he stood up; a guard ran into the room before stopping suddenly several feet from Ingo.

"What is it now?" Ingo snapped.

After a quick salute, the man quickly relayed the news. "It is the Southern Raiders sir! They are attacking from the west; there are five of them on horseback!"

"Man the gates! Do not let anyone out! They have yet to breach the walls all these orbits, they will not do so tonight!" Ingo snarled.

Both men swept out of the room; Ingo only stepping back as Malon called out to him. "Ingo, who are they?" She inquired.

"The Southern Raiders?" Ingo spat in contempt. "The very people your boyfriend rode off with last night!" Without another word, he dashed down the hallway leaving Malon alone filled with looming dread.


	44. Chapter 43 - The Crossroads

_This was a difficult chapter to write; not because I had trouble with the words, but rather the decisions I had to make with where I was taking these characters. This is a brutal chapter and it clearly shows a dichotomy of thought between what is right and wrong in this war. Who will ultimately survive? All I can say is: only the characters who will be needed and important to the story going through the end of Act 2 and into Act 3. Hope you are all enthralled and are enjoying the story so far!_

- **CHAPTER 43 – The Crossroads**

Night was descending on the open plains surrounding Yolland; the group stayed under the cover of the trailing shadows on the eastern side of the village. Link noticed several things that worried him; there were various plows, baskets, crops and other farming utensils set aside against various rocks and boulders as if their owners would be coming back to them any moment. Some of the harvest was even fruitful and was producing corn, cabbage and other appetizing yields; this all looked too fresh and time consuming to be the work of bandits.

They tethered their horses to a firm sapling boldly growing in the shade of a large stone. Kafei knelt down, peering around the rock to view the town from this vantage point; they were no further away than five minutes on foot. At the sound of the horn, Zelda pointed out the group of boys riding in from the south; their goal was to direct the attention to the west. Giving them a few more seconds to attract the guards, Kafei signaled them to follow as he surged ahead through the tall grass, crouching low.

Quickly butting up against the hay bales Kafei confirmed would be there; he flipped himself up to the top of the wooden pikes. Peeking over the edge he spied only one sentry still manning this corner, but his gaze was directed towards the primary gate entrance. Kafei looked down and made a gesture indicating what he saw before slipping over the wall and landing softly on the elevated catwalk lining the interior of the fortification. Link, Zelda and Merin quickly followed suit.

Kafei unsheathed his dual swords and slinked up behind the unsuspecting sentry; feeling something was amiss behind him, he spun around spear at the ready. Kafei flowed upwards with one sword impaling the man's chin with the hook; with a quick turn, he heaved the guard over his shoulder, slamming him to the wooden catwalk with a thud. In one smooth motion, Kafei set aside the second sword before reaching for a dagger at his belt and driving it hard into the man's heart.

It had all happened within a span of a few seconds, but Link caught the smooth lethality of Kafei's movements. They swiftly descended the plank stairs down to the dirt below; staying to the edge of the wall and in the shadows as best they could. Several cries from the town guards indicated that some of the arrows had hit their intended targets. Zelda grimaced as she could only imagine those poor men swelling up with blood cysts.

They rounded the corner of a building only to find two men surging out from the nearby doorway; each group stopped in their tracks momentarily before they galvanized into action. Link ducked under the swipe of one man's sword as he rammed his own deep into the ribs of the guard; he quickly slumped over the weapon before Link drew it back out. Zelda had quickly incapacitated her opponent; his body inert on the ground with multiple lacerations to the face and neck, the spiked rod firm in her hand.

Kafei nodded to them in appreciation of their skills before moving back along the outer wall. A low whistle from above caused them all to roll out of the way, looking aloft for the new threat. Apolloni and Aveil leaped down from the rooftops with feline grace as they surprised Kafei with their guile.

"Why aren't you burning them to ashes?" Apolloni hissed.

"Are these friends of yours?" Kafei asked the group, eyeing the new arrivals warily.

Merin nodded, "Yes, they are my sisters. They too, are Gerudo."

Seemingly relieved at that, he motioned for them to follow, "We will have time to burn their corpses later; we must first get to the gate to let in the cavalry. Only with their assistance can we overtake this town and drive the Nevachreans out!" Kafei explained with firm resolve.

Aveil reasoned that was a good plan as any. She looked out across the courtyard from between the buildings to see the vertical capstan that was adjoined to the primary gates. "Seems easy enough. Leave it to me."

Without another word, she bounded down the shadows and down the spiked barricade until she was within meters of the winch. The rest waited with baited breath as they watched her inch her way towards the device. Most of the guards were entrenched below the cover of the upper parts of the barrier; frantically dodging the poisoned arrows being rained on them by the five boys.

Two unique screams pierced the relative calm; one came from clear across the courtyard. A lanky man was screaming at his men to redirect their attention to Aveil; pointing at her location as he charged forward with several of his sentries. The other came from behind them from the very doorway the two guards they had just killed emerged from. Without thinking, Link spun around and dove his sword deep into the woman's chest. The trident clattered to the grass as their eyes locked for one torturous moment.

It was a woman. That one thought stood out in his mind; there are families here. Gravity took over as she slumped to the ground, slipping off his sword with a sickening gasp. Barely alive, she crawled over to one of the men they had slaughtered and placed a tender hand over his face before fading herself. What did he just do?

"Link." Zelda caught his attention, pointing at the other cadavers. "They aren't getting up. Why aren't they reviving?"

Link had no words to answer Zelda's question. He looked to Kafei for direction but all he got was a brief dismissal of the situation as he turned his head to look back towards Aveil. She had already begun turning the capstan instigating the reinforced gates to swing wide; by this time the entire town guard was aware of an interloper in their midst. They were running down the stairs with swords and spears drawn ready to strike her down.

Aveil's instincts to fight back were kept in check; she promised she would get the gate open for Apolloni and the others to kill the Nevachreans, she kept turning. Seeing the situation spiraling south fast, Apolloni cried out for Aveil. Her calls went unheeded as the first sword thrust its way into Aveil's breast; grunting in agony, she continued turning the wheel. At long last, the gate was completely open. Apolloni screamed as Aveil crumpled to the ground, skewered and stabbed by multitudes of weapons.

Another scream swung Link's head towards the building that the gangly man had appeared from; a pregnant woman with a blue dress was chasing after a young boy, probably no older than Giana's age. Zelda saw the dilemma too, her eyes flicked back towards the gate as the five Bomber boys were thundering in. The boy was running straight for them!

"Daddy! Daddy!" The boy cried happily, "They are back! The horses are back!"

The man turned in dismay to see his son dashing past him. He yelled, "No Lloyd! Get back here!"

Kafei lied to them! These people weren't part of the problem! They did not revive like the soldiers of Naar did! Making a split second decision, Link was hurtling across the open grass plaza towards the young child; intent on scooping him up and jumping out of harm's way. Time seemed to slow as Jim lead the charge into the small hamlet; shooting a nearby man with a lethal dose of Cyn'Taak venom.

Several sentries were confused and attempted to waylay Link; he deftly leaped through their swings and kept running. Taking it as a cue to attack, Kafei and the three Gerudo surged onto the battlefield and began cutting down the men left and right. It was a massacre beyond anything Zelda had imagined; she lingered back in the shadow of the structure, unwilling to go out into this macabre spectacle.

It was too late. Lloyd has reached the front horse as Jim brought its front hoofs down on the young boy's head. The remainder of the boys trampled the lifeless body as they flowed into the main town square. Both Ingo and Orauna shrieked as they witnessed the unthinkable. They rushed to their fallen child, weeping bitterly at their loss. Link skidded to a halt as he turned to assess the situation; the battle had already been won.

Within moments, the rest of the women, children and the smattering of men remaining were rounded up and thrown to their knees in front of the central town hall. The five Bomber boys were slowly circling the crowd; their bows leisurely set aside on their laps, available to be drawn at a moment's notice. Apolloni had already reached Aveil's side; she moaned in misery at what she found there. Aveil had died.

Link spoke just loud enough for Kafei to hear him; his tone was deadly. "What did you just make me do Kafei?"

Turning to him, an unknown frenzy still present in his eyes, he explained haughtily, "What do you think? We just struck a great blow to the Nevachrean Empire today!"

Merin looked at the two of them with uncertainty; she was not sure if what they had done was right either. "Is this truly what this was all about?"

Zelda stepped up beside Link with anger in her eyes, "These people are not your enemies. You are focusing your anger on the wrong opponent!" She pleaded with him.

Link tagged on to her sentiment, "I have met General Naar and his army. I know what these men are capable of. These innocent villagers are not who we should be fighting."

Kafei turned to Link, stabbing a sword in the direction of Ingo who was at the front of the group of scared women and children; seething hatred was burning in the man's eyes for Kafei. "Are you saying that I should just let these murderers and rapists go? The very ones that killed my family and my fiancée? The ones that killed Anju?!" Kafei shouted, spittle coming out at his words.

"You cannot blame these villagers for something they didn't do!" Link yelled back.

"Why not?" Apolloni sneered as she swept past Link and Zelda; standing beside Kafei, she drew her scimitar in readiness to strike. "These infidels killed Aveil! Why shouldn't they be punished?"

Zelda tried to reason with her, "It is not right to blame the entire townspeople for the death of one person. Aveil chose her fate and these children should not have to pay for it."

"Did we not come here to stop Nevachrea? Does that not include killing every last one of them?" Apolloni rebutted.

Kafei chimed in behind her, "Is that not what we are fighting for? For freedom from tyranny? Are we not brothers in arms Link? Do we not achieve victory by killing them before they kill us? Is that not winning?" His eyes were unreadable; he was completely lost in the moment.

"No." Link said firmly. "It's how we win that matters. Doing this, slaughtering innocent women and children who had no part in the overall war, makes us no better than they are."

"So you're going to side with them?" Kafei tilted his head incredulously. "You are going to let these butchers go for what they did to the Kokiri? To your mother?" His bubbling rage had completely surfaced.

Zelda began to weep for Kafei's soul, "You are directing your hatred towards the wrong people. Come with us Kafei. Join us and we will show who you should really be fighting!"

Link turned his gaze upon Apolloni, "It is clear to me that you were never with our group to assist me in finding the sacred stones. It is also obvious that you need me for something important once we reach the heart of Nevachrea; I can assure you Apolloni that if you do not stop this madness with Kafei, I will refuse to go with you to accomplish your task. I would rather die than go any further with this farce." He finished his statement by turning to the side and deliberately spitting on the ground.

Ingo was listening intently to see if there would be any way out for his wife and unborn child, "If you are heading for Glaun'rung, I have contacts there that will enable you to get in undetected! Just please leave my wife and-"

Kafei slammed the butt of his sword into Ingo's face; Orauna screeched as she saw her husband collapse to the ground, blood streaming from his nose. "Shut up!" Kafei yelled.

Link took a few paces before stopping; he noticed Jim holding his bow at the ready, an arrow knocked aimed at his chest. "What's it going to be Apolloni?" Link had already given up on Kafei; it was clear there was no hope to quell his churning wrath. "Are you going to obey Ganondorf and utilize me for whatever he has planned, or give in to your anger and avenge Aveil?" He glared at her decisively.

Apolloni gritted her teeth in ire; she weighed her options between siding with Kafei whom she barely knew or Link, Merin and Zander with whom she already had a mission to complete. She locked onto Link's eyes as he indicated with his gaze the nearest Bomber boy next to her; she turned slightly to see Ivan lazily watching the crowd, seemingly disinterested in the entire proceedings.

"Enough of this!" Kafei spat vituperatively. "Are you with me brother or not?" He glowered at Link, waiting for him to make the next move.

Link slowly shook his head, "We're done Kafei, you are harming innocent people. If you continue, I will be forced to stop you." To signify his resolve, he gripped his sword tightly and brought it up, pointing it directly at Kafei.

Kafei cried out in fury as he slammed his hooked sword into the forehead of Orauna; her cry was cut brutally short as the blade penetrated through her skull into her brain. With one swift motion, he rammed his other sword into her swollen belly; lifting her off of the ground with both swords, he flung her body across the plaza. Various children cried out in fright at this despicable act of ruthlessness.

"Then you shall die along with these murderers!" Kafei roared.

At a signal, all four boys drew their bows and loosed their arrows into the mob of screaming women and children. Numerous bodies ballooned into boils as Kafei began slashing indiscriminately at them; exploding each victim into a bloody mess. Blood squirted and sprayed everywhere drenching Kafei in its frothy film; he was manically laughing all the while. As one Link, Zelda, and Merin spurred into action as they joined the melee.

Apolloni ducked low to avoiding a twirling arrow and sliced the knees of the nearest horse. It pitched over as Jim was thrown forward into the ground; he had barely any time to recover before she sunk her scimitar deep into his belly. The youth gurgled on his own blood as he feebly called out for Kafei. The man swiveled around to see one of his boys being executed before his eyes and he cried out in indignation.

The entire crowd that had been held hostage bomb bursted; the horses were spooked at the swarm of people running in all directions. The boys sent volley after volley of arrows into their ranks; many missing their mark. Within seconds, Link was upon Kafei bringing his sword down on his head. With lightning quick reflexes Kafei crossed the two swords and caught the descending strike between them; swiftly pulling them apart, he yanked Link's sword out of his hand before tossing it aside.

Link dove to the ground to recover his weapon as Zelda swept in with an attack of her own; Kafei parried the initial strike as he kicked her in the stomach. She buckled to the ground; she immediately rolled before Kafei could land the finishing blow. Promptly pulling the hooked sword up from the dirt, Kafei whirled around to ram it into Link's returning blow; Link had recovered his sword and was evenly matched in strength to Kafei. They each pressed against the other, none gaining ground.

Merin leaped onto Ivan's horse as she tossed the hapless youth to the ground; he landed with a sickening crunch as his glazed eyes looked up at her. His neck had been twisted at an awkward angle by the fall. Cringing at having to kill a young boy, she focused her attention at the other remaining riders.

Clarence was merciless with his arrows; slinging one after another into the panicked mob. Toby had dismounted his horse as Apolloni brought the poor beast to its knees; effectively lopping off its head to end its misery. Ashley was slowly backing his steed up towards the front gates, unsure of what he should be doing.

Assessing Clarence to be the prominent threat, she incited the horse into a gallop towards him. The boy sensed the aggressive movement and shifted his aim towards Merin; he let fly the arrow directly at her heart. It would have certainly hit if she did not rear the horse up in time; the arrow shaft punctured straight into its belly as she back flipped off the poor creature. It whinnied in agonizing distress as it collapsed to the ground under the weight of its abscesses.

Kafei had linked the two hooked ends together and was swinging them around to keep Link and Zelda at bay. Each of them tried to get past his defenses but Kafei was too swift. He snarled as he advanced upon Zelda; with blinding speed he gripped the linked sword as it swung back around over his head and unlatched them, swinging vehemently in her direction. She hopped backwards narrowly avoiding his pinpoint swipes.

A scream emerged from the major structure of the town; Link jerked his head in response, it was Malon! Kafei heard the cry too, for he hastily kicked up dirt into Zelda's eyes before running past her towards his objective. He spun around with hate in his eyes as he gripped a nearby lantern that was hanging off a peg by the doorframe.

"Is this where your bonny lass was being kept Link?" Kafei mocked.

Link dodged an errant arrow shot by Toby as he looked on in despair. "Kafei, don't do this!"

"I think you and I both know we are past the point of no return. This is for Hyrule!" With a cry, he hurled the lantern into the window; the shattering of the glass heralded the dull glow of flames catching.

Whatever it had struck, it was flammable and it was spreading. Link knew Apolloni and Merin had their hands full with the three lingering Bomber boys, so all he had to rely on was Zelda. They had to get past Kafei, into that house and rescue Malon. A bead of sweat ran down his temple, the fires were now visible through the window. Malon's screams were getting wild.


	45. Chapter 44 - We Are the Monsters

- **CHAPTER 44 – We Are the Monsters**

"Zelda, now!" Link yelled as he threw his sword directly at Kafei's head.

She sprinted across the grass, crouching low, as she came up on Kafei. The youth sidestepped the thrown weapon as it smacked into the wooden façade of the building. Springing towards Zelda in a spinning motion to gain momentum; Kafei crashed his sword down onto Zelda's rod as she brought it upwards. The force of the impact caused her to bow to a knee; she was shocked at how innately powerful Kafei truly was.

"Merin, help!" Link shouted as he surged past the dueling pair, hoping Zelda would be able to last long enough for them to find Malon.

Merin's head jerked up as she deflected another arrow from Clarence; his undivided attention was focused on killing her, thankfully his supply of arrows was quickly dwindling. She noted that Toby was hastily running away from Apolloni, who was trying in vain to slice him to ribbons. The crafty Bomber boy was rapidly gathering any unspent arrows that had been strewn across the plaza and tossing them back to Clarence for more ammunition. She looked back to see Link dash into the building which was slowly catching fire; she cursed an oath before hurrying after him.

He rounded the corner to find Malon lying naked on the floor, blankets draped over her in varying ways of chaos; it was clear she had tried to get up from the bed and fell to the floor. She looked up into his eyes as he entered; a look of panicked relief flooded her face at the sight of him.

"Link! Please help me!" Malon screamed; struggling to inch across the floor, her lungs breathing fire.

Merin swept into the room and took stock of the situation; the flames were raging at one end of the room and slowly creeping its way towards them. She raised a hand to signal Link she would take care of Malon. She wrapped the blanket covering over her nude form; Malon let loose a few whimpers at the rough handling but did nothing to stop her. At length, she was decently covered enough to be moved.

"Link, I need you to help get Malon onto my back." Merin directed as she knelt down to one knee. Link swiftly propped Malon up onto Merin's back; with both arms locked around her neck she stood up before charging out of the door with Link in tow.

They emerged from the building to a cacophony of sound; the rest of the women had retreated to their homes only to return with spears, swords and other elements of steel. All were intent on annihilating the bandits that had so brutally killed their men. Link's gaze flicked over to where his sword was left in the wood only to find it missing. Ingo had apparently recovered and was fighting alongside Zelda in pushing Kafei backwards off the wooden walkway lining the front of the building.

Evaluating the situation, Kafei felt it was time to leave; the operation had been a failure. "Clarence, round up Toby and let's get out of here!" He shouted into the din.

The young boy nodded in assent; quickly spurring his horse around, he galloped past Toby extending a hand down for him to catch. With a quick heave, he pulled his brother in arms up onto the back of the steed. They met up with Ashley at the front gates, who simply remained where he was; his eyes soaking in the carnage.

With a vengeful cry, Ingo slashed down with Link's sword; intent to ravage this impudent man for murdering his entire family. Kafei easily caught the telegraphed attack with a hooked end before sliding the weapon out of Ingo's hand; he retaliated by jamming a boot into Ingo's stomach causing the older man to buckle. Sweeping low under Zelda's swipe, he tripped her; crushing a fist into her chest in mid fall, the ground flying up faster into her back. She coughed as the air rushed out of her from the impact.

With a laugh, Kafei surged past Link in a dead sprint towards Ashley's horse. With one bounding motion; Kafei tackled the rump of the horse, vaulting himself into the saddle before stealing the reins from Ashley. Goaded the horse into a run, the four youth raced across the plains towards their hide out. Link ran out of the gates cursing them the entire way; at length he stopped to catch his breath, infuriated at the betrayal.

Firm conviction in his eyes, Link spun around and stalked up to Ingo; recognizing the man for who he was at last. "Will you protect Malon?" Link demanded; it was not a request.

Ingo drew himself up to full height as he casually held Link's sword in one hand, "What makes you think I'd cooperate with you? You let those butchers in and decimate my entire family! Why shouldn't I kill Malon right now?!" He spat spitefully.

Link's eyes flared; his voice a low growl, "I was deceived by Kafei. I will ensure that your wife and child are avenged."

Seeing the deadly look in his eyes, Ingo backed down, "Very well. I suggest you don't come back here unless you've killed them all." He snorted before handing back the sword to Link, pommel first.

"Thank you." Link nodded at his cooperation. He turned quickly to Merin who still had Malon hoisted on her shoulders. "Please stay here with her. The rest of us will go after Kafei. Understood?"

Without another word, Zelda and Apolloni followed Link out of the gates; their destination were the horses they had tethered beyond the rock. Ingo stood absently staring as their forms disappeared from view. His gaze swept over the town as he took stock of the damage that had been done. Ignoring all other stimuli, he walked over to his wife. Slumping over her dead body, he wept. He had no idea how long he lay there.

The three riders were bolting across the flat fields, their quarry in sight. They observed the boys flow into the tree line before vanishing from view. Apolloni shifted on her horse as she motioned to Link and Zelda; she warned them that the boys could utilize the cover of the trees to their advantage. They nodded in understanding as they pressed forward.

Her suspicions were correct; several arrows careening from between the branches. An archer had perched himself in one of the trees. As one, they diverged the three horses into three separate tracks; complicating the overall firing solution for the sniper. Link and Zelda made a careless mistake as they spurred their horses closer together; one arrow stuck the foot of her steed. Link promptly grabbed Zelda from the blistering stallion, plopping her down behind him as they swept past the unfortunate braying of the doomed animal.

Within moments they broke the line of trees and were covered in shadow; their eyes darted back and forth trying to steer the panicked horses through looming trees that appeared just seconds before they needed to swerve to avoid them. Link could hear the clopping of other hooves somewhere behind them; the raiders had waited at the edge of the forest and were now chasing them down.

Link's eyes brightened as he got a devious plan, "Apolloni, Zander, follow me and make as much sound as possible!" He shouted back at them.

"What? Are you nuts? What in Din's name do you think you are doing?" Zelda asked nonplussed.

Apolloni caught on to what he was doing, "He's trying to summon our cavalry. Zelda, just do what he says!" Both Link and Zelda turned in shock at the use of her real name; Apolloni grinned, "Don't think I didn't catch that slip back at the village Link!"

Anxious but not really worried about the reveal at the present time, Link turned back around and charted a course for the grove of trees; each of them yelling at the top of their lungs like lunatics. They spied a sliver opening that denoted the entrance to the grove; it was going to be tight but they urged their horses onward to leap through the gap. Each horse whinnied in irritation as they cleared through the trees, scraping their flanks against the rough bark.

Kafei and the other three boys dismounted their horses; that became clear as they calmly stepped through the opening into the copse. Kafei's hooked swords were drawn while the other three boys had their bows at the ready. Link and the others dismounted from their horses before stepping forward to meet the Southern Raiders; their voices raised in unison.

"Would you stop yelling like a bunch of idiots!" Kafei grimaced.

A slight crashing of trees in the distance confirmed what Link was hoping for; he made a sign for Apolloni and Zelda to stop. The Cyn'Taak had heard their cries and were inbound with enthusiasm. The youth also had heard the incoming danger; Toby and Ashley were sobbing slightly at the impending menace.

"You brought this fate upon yourself Kafei." Link calmly stated, leveling his sword towards the young man.

Listening to the crashing of the trees creeping closer, Kafei sniffed in indifference, "We're all going to die here anyway." He scoffed as he stepped forward a few paces, "We could have done something revolutionary brother. It is a shame you did not choose to join me in the fight for freedom!"

"That is not freedom!" Link stabbed the air in the direction of Yolland, "Killing women and children who have no part in the war is not revolutionary; it is murder!"

A sudden burst of nickering, snarling, snapping and squishing was heard from outside the grove; the Cyn'Taak had found the horses the boys left outside the clearing. The animals' pitiful cries were agonizing; they all listening in silence to the horrible spectacle. The behemoths were feasting on the innards of the poor creatures while they were still alive. In time, multiple Cyn'Taak were plowing their clawed hands in-between the scrunched trunks; the space too narrow for their wide girths to fit through.

"So it has come to this." Zelda began shakily, "After all you've been through, is this how you are going to honor Anju's memory?"

"Don't you dare speak her name, wench!" Kafei fumed, jabbing a finger at her. Clarence smirked at the reaction.

Link edged closer to Zelda before whispering, "Cut all the ropes down but one." She looked upward as she understood what he was getting at. Link turned to face Kafei directly, "You know what I think? I feel Anju is spitting down on you from above. She would be ashamed of you!"

That did it. Kafei rushed forward with a screaming cry; Link pushed Zelda backwards as she caught her foot into the loop. Kicking the winch system, she rose into the air as the counterweight came slamming down. Apolloni dodged the first two arrows before closing in on the three boys. Ashley promptly dropped his bow and ran for cover; terror apparent in his eyes. With two quick movements, she disarmed Toby and knocked Clarence to the ground.

Aware that Kafei was adept at removing weapons from his opponents, Link changed his tactics against the man's skills. He stepped aside from the first swipe before bringing down his sword onto the hook; with a quick flick of the wrist he flung the weapon towards the fire pit. Kafei cursed as he flipped away from the incoming strike. Link signaled to Zelda to begin cutting the ropes as he took another up into the treetops.

Seeing an opportunity to eliminate one of her opponents cruelly; she grabbed the scruff of Toby's shirt as she drug him screaming across the ground. She quickly riposted Kafei's lunge before sweeping below his twirling counter; she aimed a quick heel to his knee, shattering it with the force of the blow. Kafei cried out as he crumpled to the ground clutching his injured leg. As much as she wanted to finish the brazen youth, the opportunity that had presented itself was slowly dwindling.

Dragging the flailing boy, she grabbed the nearest rope and jammed the loop around the boy's neck. With a gratifying kick to the nearby mechanism, she sneered as the counterweight pulled the strangled boy into the air; his legs convulsing in jerky movements. Within moments, Toby hung still at the base of the elevated platforms, lifeless. With murder in her eyes, Apolloni roved onward towards the unconscious form of Clarence.

Kafei watched in disbelief as Toby was choked in midair. Yelling in wrath, he grabbed both swords before limping over to the nearest tree. Ignoring the ravenous roars of the Cyn'Taak that had surrounding the grove, he utilized his surprising strength to scale the tree. Placing each sword hook into the trunk, he swiftly climbed the tree to the upper canopy. Zelda stood amazed at his agility; reality sinking in, she cut the last unused rope watching it flutter to the ground below.

Kafei swung up onto the bedding platform before pacing across the narrow plank to the central tree spire; his homicidal eyes were on the two of them. "You've destroyed everything I had to live for!" He screamed at them.

"Good." Link refuted coldly, "Then this will make things easy."

"Link!" Zelda gasped, shocked at his heartlessness.

"Very well Link. To the death then!" Kafei confirmed his course of action.

The clashing of steel above her was but a dull stimulus to Apolloni's ears; her eyes were on Clarence. The young boy had already recovered and was meeting her assault with a short sword ready in hand. Chortling at his cheek, she drew out her two scimitars and advanced upon the youth. Clarence bobbed and weaved through her spinning slashes; effectively avoiding all of her attacks. She grunted in admiration at his natural ability to evade.

The boy spun around aiming a blow to her legs; she leaped over him before smacking him with the butt of her sword as she landed back onto the grass. He sprawled forward but immediately rolled out of the way of the incoming thrust. The boy jabbed his sword towards her belly; she caught it between the two scimitars and pressed forward with urgency. The imbalance knocked him off his feet; throwing the sword out of his grip.

Apolloni advanced forward bashing her foot into his head dazing the boy; she looked over toward a small opening to the thicket and smiled with sadistic glee. Smacking him once more across the head to ensure he would be sufficiently incapacitated, she picked the youth up and carried him over to the slathering Cyn'Taak, eagerly clawing through the gap between the trees.

"May you pay for the death of Aveil!" She cried, pressing the boy through the opening.

Clarence realized his predicament too late; he spread his legs and arms out against the trunks to stall the inevitable. Apolloni shouted in anger at his refusal to die; she pushed harder towards the impatient Cyn'Taak. The boy screamed in misery as the claws began slashing through his abdomen; tearing out chunks of flesh and viscera with each swipe.

His body went limp as a crimson barb flashed in impaling itself deep into his head; utilizing the few seconds of leverage, Apolloni pushed the body further until it wedged itself tight against the two opposing trees with the corpse's expanding form. The Cyn'Taak dove its snout into the nearest blood boil and began feeding hungrily on the fleshy organs of Clarence. Laughing manically, Apolloni swirled around; where was that other boy?

Zelda was out cold on the ground; blood slowly trailing down her face, staining her blonde hair a dull shade of pink. Kafei flashed an evil grin as he kicked Link back onto the bedding platform; his sword tumbled down to the ground below. Kicking out the unbolted plank off, watching it plummet, he laughed at Link's helpless situation.

"You've got nowhere else to go Link!" Kafei leered; spreading his arms wide to reveal redundantly that Link was trapped on the spoke platform with no way off but down.

"I wish things could have been different. I knew you once," Link started, reminiscing his times in Termina. That seemed like ages ago. "I saw you and Anju together. You were happy."

"Liar!" Saliva spitting from his mouth as he screamed, "You are no better than those Nevachreans you so claim to hate!" With deathly calm, he turned around to reach for a bow perched up against the central spire; he turned to Link before serenely knocking an arrow. "Good bye brother." Kafei spoke coolly.

Link's primal urge to survive instigated that familiar feeling deep within his core; he could feel the inner energies surging up through his chest, flowing out down his arms. He had felt this once before when those three horses appeared from nowhere, allowing them to escape the Cyn'Taak. The materialized black, leather bow in his hand startled Kafei long enough to jolt his aiming; the arrow sailed through the air, whistling through strands of Link's hair as it thunked into the trunk behind him.

Without missing a beat, Link spun around yanking the arrow from the bark before slinging it back to Kafei. The arrow rammed through his chest; Kafei fell to his knees as carbuncles began filling with his life blood. He screamed in ire as his eyes were filled with hate for Link; he could do nothing but gurgle on the massive flow of red essence foaming at his mouth.

"I pray that the Goddesses take pity on your soul Kafei. I can rest easy knowing that at least your partner in Termina is happy; that your better half has made her happy." Link stated with little emotion; he felt like a piece of him had died this day.

Zelda had awoken and was standing behind the disfigured Kafei. With a nod from Link, she nudged him off the platform with her foot. He screamed the entire way down before impacting the ground, bursting in a huge explosion of blood, guts and flesh.

Link directed Zelda to remove a loose plank from another spoke and place it down so he could cross back to the central platform. Quickly grabbing their packs from their sleeping spaces, they took the remaining rope back down to the forest floor.

Zelda started as she saw Apolloni dragging the final boy by the hair over to the nearest Cyn'Taak. "Stop!" She cried.

Apolloni jerked her head in their direction; her expression was animalistic and contained no traces of humanity. "What?!" She snapped.

"Don't kill him. The battle is over; no more innocents need to die." Zelda pleaded.

Roughly tossing the quivering boy to the ground, she turned to them crossing her arms in frustration, "I highly doubt this child is that innocent."

"That may be true," Link agreed, "but it is clear he doesn't want to fight."

Ashley dared not move from where he was thrown down; he covered his ears with his hands, trying to shut out the guttural sounds of the raging Cyn'Taak which had encircled the grove. Link regarded the situation before making his decision.

"Take what you can; we ride out of the primary opening on the horses." Link gazed over at the stallions; they had huddled next to the center tree, their eyes wide and noses flaring. "I will ride with Apolloni, Zelda you take the boy."

At Zelda's insistence, Link grappled the crying infant Cyn'Taak, which had been huddling beside the fire pit, and passed it up to her on the horse. Efficiently mounting the steeds, they situated themselves before grabbing several nauseating chunks of Kafei. Throwing the disgusting limbs through crevices on the opposite end of the grove; they utilized the distraction of the Cyn'Taak bloodlust to provide an opening to ride through. The horses neighed in pain as the bark of the trees scraped across their skin; they landed back to the ground with a thud and surged onwards.

Within moments they broke the tree line and were heading towards Yolland; the Cyn'Taak did little to chase them across the plains, preferring to stay behind to kill easier prey. The cool, night breeze felt refreshing on their faces as they pressed across the flowing grass, blowing in the wind.

Link turned to see Zelda crying, "What's wrong?" He asked concerned.

"Why did it have to come to this? Where we are killing children just to survive?" Zelda moaned.

"War makes monsters of us all." Apolloni blurted unceremoniously.

They rode in silence back to the town; the events of the night weighing heavily on their hearts.


	46. Chapter 45 - Breaking the Barrier

- **CHAPTER 45 – Breaking the Barrier**

"And you simply play all day?" Ganondorf asked disbelievingly.

Saria nodded her head, "It's all we knew how to do. Life was much simpler back then." She mused.

Saria had finally gotten over her initial depression at seeing Talon being harshly punished; now that she had a firm plan in place with Nabooru and Impa, she felt a lot more comfortable being around Ganondorf and keeping up the charade. There were nights she didn't know if she could go on; lying was a concept completely new to her.

Whenever Ganondorf asked what she had been up to, she regaled him with a variety of trivial things she did that day; regardless of how inconsequential they were, Ganondorf continued to listen with an attentive ear. He would never interrupt and would also allow her to finish whatever she had to say. It was only recently that he started inquiring again about the nature of the Kokiri.

Ganondorf grunted, "That is a luxury we simply don't have here in the desert."

Saria turned her head to Ganondorf as they walked down the corridor, "Why can't you simply have that here? Giana seems happy enough playing around with me." She offered.

A brief smile broke his lips at her suggestion, "No Saria. We always have to be vigilant when living in the desert. When the sun rises into the sky, a punishing wind sears these lands, causing any unprotected soul to perish. When the moon climbs in the dark of night, a frigid gale pierces our homes and kills the unwary. No matter when it comes, the wind carries the same thing…death. That is why we cannot rest on our laurels at any waking moment."

The Kokiri thought on that for a few moments; her wings slowing down their rhythmic beat as the gears in her head turned. "Well don't you use magick? Don't those witch elders have magick to change that wind?" She suggested.

Ganondorf scoffed at this notion, "Those witches wouldn't even know what to do with that much power even if they had it! No, our magicks do not pass beyond the bounds of nature; there is only so much we can do with it. Now if only I had…" He let his fist and the conversation drop. "It need not matter." He continued down the hall in silence.

The pair swept past a corner before a slight whiff caught Ganondorf's nose; with one swift spin, he grabbed the woman before slamming her into the ground. Saria shrieked at seeing Impa gasping for air as Ganondorf strangled her larynx; leaning over the Sheikah scrutinizing her.

"What have we here?" Ganondorf sneered; tightening his grip on Impa's neck.

Saria rushed up to them and began tugging on his arm; begging him to release her. "She is Impa! She has been assisting us all these cycles!" The panic of seeing her friend in misery made Saria remarkably compliant in revealing everything.

Without even looking up from Impa's eyes, Ganondorf demanded firmly, "Assisting you? How?!" The woman struggled further; to keep her in check, he placed one knee on her abdomen and began pressing in.

"She helped Link, Talon, Zelda and me escape from those awful men; she made sure we found refuge here with the Gerudo, she-" Saria abruptly stopped as she realized what she had just said.

"Princess Zelda, huh?" Ganondorf said just above a whisper; his eyes intent on the Sheikah below him, the life force slowly draining out of her eyes.

Saria clapped a hand to her mouth as she tried in vain to put back in the secret she blurted out. "Did I say Zelda? I meant Zander!" She tried to counter. "Please don't hurt Impa, she is a friend!"

Readjusting his grip on her neck, Ganondorf weighed his options at this juncture; how much would he benefit from having a Sheikah on his side if he purported to assist their cause? At length he relaxed his grip and released the knee that was digging into her stomach. "If she is a friend, then I should have no worries about her attacking. If she tries anything drastic; I will have no qualms in killing her."

Impa immediately rolled to her side hacking out her lungs; desperate to get air into her body. After a few gulps, she managed to stammer, "How…did you know I was there?"

Ganondorf gestured to her loins, "Your monthly flow; it is uniquely different than any other Gerudo I've lived among. You made a careless mistake coming around me this time of month." Impa flushed at his awkward reveal of her condition; she was right in keeping Zelda hidden away each orbit during these times, she would have been discovered long before now.

Saria was puzzled, "Monthly flow?"

Ganondorf rumbled, "Something you will never have to deal with child."

Saria bristled at his comment, "I'm probably older than you Ganondorf!"

He raised a commanding hand for her to be still, "Why did you not choose to go with the others? Why stay when your duty was to your Princess?" He questioned; clearly well versed in the matters of the Royal Family.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures Ganondorf. You should know that." Impa confuted; slowly rubbing her sore neck.

"You did not answer the question." Ganondorf snarled.

Impa was about to expound on her statement when she noticed Ganondorf's attention was riveted elsewhere. He looked beyond her down the corridor; clearly getting a message they were not receiving. She looked at him curiously and saw brief flashes of inner light dance across the ruby on his forehead; was it some way of communication?

"No." Ganondorf breathed. "It is too soon! Why are they implementing it now?" He roared.

Befuddled, Saria and Impa stumbled after Ganondorf as he raced down the corridors before flowing out into the glaring midday sun. Covering his eyes with his arm, he looked towards the sky and saw Kotake and Koume hovering just outside the aura. What were they up to? Several seconds passed before a huge shudder shook the entire compound. Ganondorf collapsed to the ground in agony as his heart beat frantically.

"What devilry are they causing? This is not what we agreed to!" He yelled.

Saria sidled up to him as she placed a comforting hand on his contorted form; he was clearly in a lot of pain, clutching at his chest as if his body was going to explode. Impa observed the witches high above them; they were drawing archaic diagrams in the sky and chanting in unknown tongues; a chill rolled down her spine as she realized what was coming.

Quickly taking Saria aside, Impa directed her firmly, "Saria, now is the time to put our plan into action; you secure the saddlebags and horses. I will see to it that Nabooru, Giana and Talon are with me when we meet you at the stables."

Saria nodded nervously as another shockwave rocked the foundations of the fortress, causing one section of the structure to cave in; several screams were heard before being silenced. The barrier was undulating in waves as it pulsated weakly; they could see clearer what lay beyond the malevolent shield. Impa dashed back into the fortress, hoping her objective had not perished in the previous collapse; Saria scrambled over to the stables to secure Epona and Harden for the journey. Ganondorf was barely aware of their absence as he writhed on the ground, clutching his chest in agony.

The next pulse shattered the barrier like a pane of glass; a huge beam of energy from the two sisters punctured the dome, blasting a hole through. Shimmering faintly before fading completely, the sun's rays finally touched down on the compound for the first time in many cycles. Ganondorf's heart stopped beating for all of a few seconds; he gasped in relief as a great weight was lifted off his body. He no longer had to maintain two individual barriers.

_My lord! The enemy is attacking en masse; there are hundreds of them flooding the valley! They have constructed a bridge to cross the gorge on their own!_ The telepathic message from an elder manning the front barricade was panicky; he groaned as he shakily got to his feet.

_Hold them off! Utilize the new weaponry the old man crafted for us. Do not let any of them through!_ Ganondorf ordered; he could feel the elder wincing at his strength of will.

He could see the guards clambering across the parapets setting up battle positions; at the first signal, the initial volley of arrows sailed through the air. They had improved upon the original formula of the poison; instead of swelling the victims up before exploding, it bypassed the initial stage altogether. Within seconds, Ganondorf could hear slight puffs accompanied by men shouting as they most likely dove for cover.

That was not the only weapon they had created in the last few cycles; an apprentice was wheeling out several barrels filled with bombs. Inside each weapon was a concentrated blast of both poison and magick; Kotake and Koume were especially proud of this weapon. The Gerudo elder lit the first one before lobbing it into the mob; it exploded with incredible force. Any unfortunate grunts who were nearby were immediately vaporized, which caused a chain reaction with anyone else who happened to come in contact with their atomized ashes.

He knew they would be able to hold out for a time before needing assistance; gazing up at the sky, it was clear the two witches weren't going to float idly by on their brooms. They were gliding over to where the approaching Nevachrean army had reached an impasse; each witch began lobbing magick bombs wreathed in flames and ice onto the heads of the Gerudo. Every unfortunate soul to be caught in their blast were swiftly immolated or frozen solid.

Ganondorf cursed their names and reviled the fact he was even raised by such traitors. Dismantling the barrier themselves was not part of the plan; nor was destroying it this early. He was expecting at least a fortnight to situate all the various pieces to the master puzzle before commencing the operation. Kotake and Koume were blocking all attempts at telepathy; he couldn't even get through to them.

Leaving the valley in the capable hands of his subjects, Ganondorf moved ahead with the final touches; albeit prematurely. Sprinting down the decline, he swept past the whipping post and climbed up the ladder on the side of the massive portcullis structure leading to the desert. Skipping every other rung, he reached the top; efficiently turning the mechanism, he lifted it just enough for a grown woman to creep under.

As his boots hit the dirt, he noticed a small flicker of light bobbing in the darkness of the stables perched up against the canyon wall. Furrowing his brow at this oddity, he paced over to the entrance and looked inside. The light had vanished, but he was confident in what he saw. Ears perked at the neighing of the horses, he investigated the stalls before coming to the final two.

"What do you think you are doing?" Ganondorf demanded of the Kokiri.

Saria yelped in fright as she dropped the final bag to the dirt with a clang. She spun around trying her best to look innocent. "I was…just trying to make sure the horses were set. You know, just in case we needed to escape." She feebly broke a smile at him.

"You're a terrible liar." Ganondorf said disparagingly.

She was going to rebuke his statement when Nabooru rushed into the stables, shadowed closely by Impa and Talon, who held a frightened Giana in his arms. It became apparent they had hastily thrown on a simple, white shirt over his chest for cover; they had expedited their flight from the fortress. Ganondorf's eyes widened in anger at these unforeseen events; too many things were gyrating wildly out of his control this day.

"My lord, Ganondorf!" Nabooru faltered; the abruptness of their meeting compelling her into formalities as a matter of habit.

He sneered at her, "What have we here? Trying to escape while the rest of us were under attack?" He advanced upon the group coldly; his hand out to the side drawing devilish energy, preparing it to decimate them all.

"Ganondorf, stop! Please!" Saria screamed; she soared in-between them, holding her hands out like a shield. This would not happen again!

"They are deserters to their people; the penance is death!" Ganondorf raged; swiftly brushing the flying Kokiri to the side. Giana began crying as she buried her face in Talon's chest; he looked on with firm resolve that this might be his last moments.

"We are leaving so we can help Link!" Saria divulged angrily.

The swirling magick crackled in his hand as he stopped in midstride, Ganondorf turned his face to Saria with sly cunning in his eyes. "You are leaving to assist him? Did I not send several Gerudo to ensure the task would be accomplished?" He questioned; probing deeper into what Saria knew.

She looked helplessly at Impa and the others but received no confirmation; they simply stood there waiting to see what Ganondorf would do. Sighing she did the only thing she could do well, tell the truth. "We are bringing Link the emerald I have around my neck," she placed two fingers on the radiating stone, "and an ocarina that Impa has."

Ganondorf's eyes twisted to Impa as she shot a glare at Saria. "Is this true?" He probed flatly.

"It is. It would be pointless to have Link collect the other two sacred stones without the third and the ocarina to bind them together. Did you truly send him out not expecting him to succeed?" Impa shot back; her eyes a deathly calm.

"No, I did not send him on a mission I did not think he could complete." Ganondorf responded; his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and ideas. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind when first formulating this strategic move. Now that the witches had disrupted the original mission, maybe this was another way to fulfill the original objective? He needed to adapt to the changing situation or all his efforts would be for naught.

At length he released the energies sizzling around his outstretched hand; a collective sigh of relief was exhibited from the group. "I will join you then." Ganondorf intoned; much to the shock and dismay of Nabooru and Impa. Far better to take matters into his own hands and help accomplish the mission than to sit back and let Kotake and Koume have their victory.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Ganondorf boomed, "Don't just stand there like a bunch of imbeciles! Get everyone onto the horses and let's go!"

Roused into action, Nabooru leaped up onto Harden as Talon handed up Giana to her; straddling the fretful horse comfortably, she leaned back against her mother for comfort. Impa put one foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself onto Epona; after so many cycles of inactivity, she was bucking at the opportunity to flex her legs. Talon took another brown mare in the stall next to Harden while Ganondorf mounted his black stallion. The aged steed was nipping at the bit in anticipation of the ride. Ganondorf patted the neck of the beast soothingly; speaking soft words into its ears, it calmed down almost immediately.

"Saria, you are riding with me." Ganondorf spoke; his tone did not give much leeway to refuse.

Reticently, Saria fluttered over to him; she inhaled suddenly when he reached out to grapple her and sit her roughly in front of him. She felt horribly stroppy as the Gerudo king wrapped his arms around either side of her to grip the reins of his horse. With a quick flick of the leather strap and a kick to the flanks, the horses bolted out of the stables into the courtyard.

Ganondorf brought his horse to a halt and looked upon the primary fortification of the fortress; he could hear the recurrent pounding of a battering ram hitting the wooden gates. It would only be a matter of time before they broke through. Looking higher to the ramparts, he noticed how few there were left of the defenders; he quickly summoned each of the four remaining elders.

_Retreat to the colossus! Gather as many women as you can and make your way through the desert. Bring the old scientist with you!_ Ganondorf strummed; that old man seemed to have a knack for weaponry. It would be a waste to let him fall to the enemy.

Content with the confirming responses, he huffed and directed Nabooru and the others to follow him to the portcullis at the opposing end of the enclosure. Talon tried to direct his gaze away from the bloodied post that was nearby; thankfully Nabooru redirected his attention when she was called upon to climb the ladder to the mechanism to lift the gate higher so the horses could get through.

The first group of women were just reaching the gate as Impa guided Epona under the spiked, metal bars; they were dragging the blubbering, feeble man with them. Several were already on horseback themselves. Ganondorf nodded to them as he signaled an elder to come follow him. He pointed out a small device tucked in the corner between the brick and the rock wall.

_This is a bomb that will collapse the gate unto itself. Use it when the last of us is through; that should slow them down, enabling you to get to the colossus to set up defenses._ Ganondorf directed.

_Understood, my lord!_ The aged elder acknowledged.

"Mommy? Where are we going?" Giana asked fearfully looking up into Nabooru's eyes.

"Shhh, dear. We are going somewhere safe. Just rest in my arms." Nabooru soothed.

Ganondorf stared at the two of them absently before regaining his senses; at a command, he ordered the group to follow him through the desert. The elder watched the four horses ride across the dunes until they were nothing but pinpricks of black. A sudden eruption blasted a shockwave through the ground under her feet; her attention snapped back across the compound to see the army flooding in through the mangled barricade.

Those women better get over here quickly! We have no time left! Seeing several groups of Gerudo sprinting towards her, she moved over to the device to ignite it.


	47. Chapter 46 - Turning the Wheels

_The title in full is 'Turning the Wheels of Fate.' I'm basically playing catch up on the myriad of other side stories that will ultimately add up to the big picture. A lot of pieces are on the move right now and I would be remiss if I didn't notify you about them! There are a lot of tidbits of information revealed here in this chapter for those reading deep into it. So hope you enjoy this 3-part split chapter and are looking forward to the next!_

- **CHAPTER 46 – Turning the Wheels**

Naar crumpled the parchment in his fist; he was livid at the news. They had needed the fresh supplies of clothes and food. Not that the men actually needed the food to survive; but it was one of the few pleasures he could give them to stall an outright mutiny. There were insufficient females left to go around the camp, many having died off due to abuse or disease. Limited things were left to keep the restless men occupied and their head kept in the war.

To distract their mundane lives when it wasn't spent raping, killing and pillaging, Naar instituted an age-old tradition back in Nevachrea. A sport they used to play before the war; before Hyrule reneged on their agreement and left their nation to rot. It was a simple game comprised of two goals and a ball; the object was to kick, head butt, or throw it through the hoop at the opposing end. The rules were also simple: you could not travel with the ball and anything went with regards to how the other team was treated; this lead to the game ultimately becoming a blood sport, much to the excitement of the men.

The game occupied their artless minds and their inner, bloodthirsty natures; it helped stave off the inevitable sedition. Naar needed those sacred stones soon; Thanan had sent word earlier that he was closing in on the ruby's location but the local dragon population seemed to have waylaid his search significantly. The Gorons also were not making things easy on Thanan; they had lost many good men to their formidable might.

Things had not gone according to plan at all this week; the letter was the last in the line of irritable circumstances that enraged Naar. True to their word, the witches dispelled the barrier blocking the Gerudo kingdom. They were ready to strike with a full regiment of five-thousand men; over half of those lost their lives permanently in the assault. Although the siege was successful, those irksome Gerudo merely fell back to a far more defensive position. Sealed away in their desert colossus, that realm of influence was at a standstill. Now this, Naar threw the letter across the tent.

"Is there anything else you require?" The messenger offered apprehensively.

Naar merely waved him off with a gesture; so deep in thought he had abandoned all notion of torturing the poor bastard. Talamir and Timner had written the report; his initial assumption of bandits had been correct. What was disconcerting was that there appeared to be two factions of bandits; one set was merely stealing the supplies while the other merely torched them completely along with the men. Could there be uprisings already in the homeland? If that was the case; he might have to travel home and take care of this situation himself.

He shivered at the thought of being back in Glaun'rung; of being near Barrachas. He owed that man a great debt for revitalizing their nation and giving them the capability to sustain this war over the cycles. However that man was a very disturbing individual; even more so than Thanan, who was an enigma himself. Barrachas served as Nevachrea's high priest; something the country never had prior to his appearance. Naar made it a point to avoid the man at every opportunity, only deigning to meet with him if the situation demanded it.

His mind drifted back to thoughts of the Triforce; mulling on the plethora of ways they had conceived of to acquire it. The ancients who built the Temple of Time were very methodical in setting up its defenses. There seemed to be no clear way of gaining access to the Sacred Realm without following the one and only path described in the translated texts at the castle: through the sacred stones and further therein, the Master Sword.

Naar had read the manuscripts multiple times to grasp their meaning; even if they successfully accessed the Master Sword, it would reveal itself to no one but the Hero it had chosen. Maybe those two crones were onto something; all signs pointed to that young boy he met seven cycles ago. To think he had him under his power and had no idea how vital he was to the overall campaign; it made him furious just thinking about it! He had to agree that assisting Link seemed to be the only viable alternative in getting what he desired.

Naar reached into his tunic and brought out a smudged, bronze locket that hanged around his neck. Staring at the small object in his palm, he hesitated even opening it. At length, he unsnapped the clasp and flipped it open to reveal the smiling face within. Angrily brushing the tears that were welling up in his eyes; he looked on the woman's gentle features. He placed a calloused finger on her picture.

"I will make things right again, sister. You will be avenged." Naar shut the locket roughly; locking out the memory of the past. "It is time I recall your sons. They have been gone long enough."

With renewed conviction, he stuffed the accessory back within his clothes before walking over to the tent flap. Naar hailed the nearest sentry who was casually sitting with his crew by a crackling fire; the man jogged up before stopping just paces from Naar, giving a quick salute.

"Find me a messenger and send him to my tent immediately." Naar boomed.

"Yes, sir!" The fidgety guard affirmed.

"Oh, one more thing." Naar placed a firm hand on the man's shoulder; it was obvious he wasn't to refuse the next command either. "How many females do we have left?"

The man grinned in relief, "Only a few more Hylians and one Kokiri."

Naar swore an oath, "Is that all? It seems they have become quite the commodity these days." The sentry nodded, joining in the mirth of Naar's quip. "Bring me the Kokiri; it has been a while since I've had their kind."

Waving the man off, he retreated back into his tent; with Ruto gone, and failures being met at every turn, he was in serious need of some physical comfort. With some careful handling on his part, this Kokiri might actually last longer than Kiera did. He sniggered at the thought, had it really been that long? He ruminated. No matter, this will bring back fond memories for him; he walked over to the chest at the foot of his bed and pulled several stakes and shackles from it. Yes, he would have to be quite gentle with this little one.

Where are you Ruto? May you come back with good tidings when all else has gone sour.

**-Break-**

"So they've found refuge in the colossus?" Veraca asked inquisitively.

"Yes, it appears they are preparing a small party to advance to the east." The scout reported dutifully.

Veraca stepped a few paces away, placing a hand to his chin in thought; the water lapping at his thighs was soothing to him. "Why just the one group? Do they not want to evacuate their entire nation?"

The Zora merely shrugged, "I cannot say. They are sending their leader along with this band however."

Veraca furrowed his skin; or what would count as eyebrows for a Zora. "That is strange Leelan." He turned his head to look at the attentive subordinate; it had taken many cycles of dedication and ambition for Veraca to attain his position as general of the Zoran army. Veraca continued, "That a leader would abandon his subjects so easily." He tapped a finger on his chin thinking, "There must be more at play here than we are seeing. He must be confident in what they have there or he would not leave them in the lurch like that."

"After seven cycles being behind that barrier, it is hard to say if anything that he does makes any sense." Leelan offered with modesty.

Veraca laughed at Leelan's witticism. "You always could make me laugh, even in the worst of times. You are a good friend." He said with welling emotion.

"You are too kind, Veraca." Leelan said, bowing low. "If I may take my leave?"

"Of course, I have other matters that I must attend to." With a final wave goodbye, he watched his childhood friend submerge beneath the water and swim off down the river.

Sighing, Veraca turned around towards the waterfall pummeling the surface of the water just behind him; with a leap, he dove through its curtain and into the flooded tunnel beyond. Gracefully undulating his body with the current, he sliced through the water into darker passages. Flipping through several more turns, he emerged from the cool liquid into a network of caves. Several torches had been placed in coral sconces to provide light to the otherwise pitch black gloom.

Stepping out onto the moist surface, letting the water drip from his scales, he moved over to the door at the far end. He returned the salute of the two sentries on either side of the door; he was not looking forward to this meeting. Amiably taking the keys offered by the guard, he began unchaining the locks around the door bolt. He felt it silly to have so many for just one person; but considering where she had been these past seven cycles, precaution was a virtue. Presently he stood outside the door, slightly unwilling to go in, but knowing he must; exhaling, he pressed on the door and walked through.

The onslaught was almost immediate, as it usually was. "You cannot do this to me! Let me go this instant! Is this how you treat your Princess?!" Ruto wailed at her captor, frantically scrambling back against the far rock wall.

"Must I keep reminding you? You are our queen now." Veraca had grown exhausted with this conversation; it seemed she continually ignored everything he told her each time.

"If I am your queen, then release me and face the punishment of your treason!" She spat with scorn in her voice.

"That I cannot do your highness. You are not yourself. Until such time I can verify you are of sound mind, will you be able to lead our people once more." Despite all her attempts to get him wrathful, he refused to play into her games. He knew that the process would be long and arduous for him, but as the sole survivor of the royal line, he had to make the attempt to rescue her fractured mind.

She laughed hysterically. "When _you_ decide I am of sound mind? Ha! That will never happen! You are keeping me here to torture me!"

It broke Veraca's heart to see his queen in such distress; just what did those bastards do to mark her this way? It would be one thing to have physical signs, those were easily rectified. It was quite another to have that mark on a person's soul; those could not be fixed so straightforwardly.

"Ruto, let us begin again." She stuck her tongue out at him in defiance as she rolled her eyes; this was another thing she did to infuriate him, it was not working. "Do you remember what your duty is? The oath you made to your father?" He pressed onward as if she had done nothing.

She placed both hands across her head, as if warding off some impending blow. "No! I don't want to hear it anymore! It never meant anything!" She screamed.

Breathing deeply, Veraca remained calm in the face of her impotent fury. "You are to uphold the tenants of our culture and respect our allegiance to the Hylian Royal Family. You are to ensure the protection of our most sacred possession for the coming hero, as the prophecy states." He had memorized and recited the line for her daily that he almost lost track of what it meant himself.

In a single moment of clarity, she ceased her flailing and opened her eyes wide. Veraca wondered if he had finally got through to her this time. "My most sacred possession…Link has it! Yes! He has it!" She repeated excitedly.

Veraca cursed under his breath; his meetings usually stopped here when his name was mentioned. It was clear to him that if they were to make any progress at all, they were going to have to make her forget Link ever existed. He was hindering her ability to recover; he was an object she had latched onto all these years. It was her safe haven, a circle of solitude in a world gone mad. It had to be eliminated.

"Veraca, is it?" Her soothing voice jolted him out of his ponderings; she had approached uncomfortably close, an ardent look in her eye.

"Yes, do you remember me?" Veraca asked, hoping that some recollection would surface and at least make this meeting a triumph.

She smiled, "I remember you now. You were that lanky boy who always got shy whenever you were around me." She crooned softly as she slinked closer; puffing her breasts out in an enticing manner.

"Yes, that was me." Although relieved that some headway had been made, she was getting alarmingly close. They should probably restrain her for these visits from now on.

In a sudden motion, she pressed him into the wall; her breath coming in ragged gasps as she began grinding her body up against his. The feeling of his scales against her body was uniquely thrilling to her; she had only been with Naar, a Nevachrean man, but never one of her own kind. This would definitely be a new twist.

"So how do Zora do it these days?" She cooed lustily in his ear, "I wouldn't know, will you teach me?"

"You are not yourself Ruto!" Veraca shouted; roughly pushing her down to the ground. She looked up at him stunned; he had never lashed out at her like that. She smirked; she had finally found a way to ruffle his gills. She hastily got up as she saw him swiftly exiting the room. She slammed up against the door as it shut in her face, leaving her alone once more; a single torch the only light in the barren room.

Ignoring the frantic shouting and pounding, he turned to one of the guards, "Make sure the next time I come tomorrow that she is restrained." After a brief pause, he added. "And make sure none of the men go near her."

The guard cocked his head curiously, "Why is that sir?"

Veraca looked briefly at the shaking door, "For one, she is our queen. And second, she is too seductive. It wouldn't be good for her or for the men if I find out about it!" The guard took his firm command to heart as he straightened up in salute.

Nodding that all would be handled the next day, Veraca dove back into the cool waters. Swimming along the dark tunnels, thoughts swirled in his mind. Their current method of helping Ruto was failing; it was not getting them anywhere. Now with a firm idea on how best to tackle this problem, he swam on with renewed vigor.

**-Break-**

It had been several days since they left the desert colossus, but Saria recalled it as if it was yesterday. They had ridden hard that day to make it before nightfall; the looming monolith was an impressive sight for her. Being out of the forest and only seeing nothing but the Gerudo fortress for cycles on end, she was exhilarated that she was finally traveling the world. Their first stop took her breath away. The sheer magnitude of the sculpted rock mesmerized her senses; she quickly flew up to the engraved figure and examined the intricate detail that had gone into it.

They didn't stay long; Ganondorf navigated the confusing corridors of the temple and brought them to a storage room where they could supply themselves with weapons and any armor they thought they would need. Within hours, groups of women arrived at the colossus in batches. Soon the entire temple was teeming with Gerudo and one unfortunate Terrance. Saria tried to help console and talk to the bewildered old man, but he merely babbled to himself in crazy nonsense; his sanity had slipped considerably.

As the group was making the final preparations and securing the newly stocked saddlebags onto the horses, Saria felt a small tremor in her body. Sora also felt it too. Feeling the waves of pulsating energy, she wandered through the maze of rooms and passages to an open arena. Her mouth dropped open as she walked out into the moonlight.

The entire amphitheater was open to the sky with six pillars of elaborate design; each one had a different symbol on it. In the middle was a gigantic stone of purest midnight; it seemed to suck the light out of the very air. Shuddering, she directed her attention to the dais in the center of the enclosure, there was a strange stand with a black mirror placed on it facing the stone.

Curious she stepped up to the platform only to find a small figure sprawled out on the brick. Sora leaped in her heart as she saw the unconscious being. She rushed over to hapless individual and picked her up gently. Its eyes fluttered weakly as it gazed at her face unseeing. Its skin was so cold and complexion so pale; she immediately held it tight against her chest to warm the poor thing.

Saria never did tell anyone what she found on the back side of the monolith; she mounted up with Ganondorf as they rode off in the direction of the Negev Marshlands. In time, they made camp just beyond its borders before attempting the trek through the swamp the next day. She huddled deep into her bedroll and peered into her shirt at it.

"Are you going to be okay?" Saria inquired.

"Yes." The weak voice murmured, "Just keep me warm for now, okay?"

Saria nodded before getting comfortable in her sleeping bag.

_You know he is going to want to know._ Sora said accusingly.

"I know…but just let me have my moment, okay?" Saria said, slowly drifting off to sleep. Sora grumbled in her head.


	48. Chapter 47 - The High Priest

_This can be quite a disturbing chapter, but hopefully it'll explain a lot about the inner workings of how Nevachrea came to be the powerhouse that it is now. It was not done overnight and it was not done in ways that are kosher. Hopefully I am hinting at greater, bigger things in this chapter than just the simple conflict of Hyrule and Nevachrea. Enjoy! I promise the next chapter will return back to Link and company!_

- **CHAPTER 47 **– **The High Priest**

The cloaked figure watched intently as the mage apprentices slowly chipped away at the side of the mask. For cycles they had etched off slivers from the chiseled features of the mask; ever since Barrachas brought it into the country. It had the face of a Hylian man but was adorned with intricate war paint of brilliant blues and browns across its cheeks. The color of its eyes was unnervingly black, as if unseeing. Adorning its crown was molded white hair complete with a cyan cap; it was unlike any mask ever seen on this world.

For many orbits now, their supply of soldiers had grown thin; they were resorting to shaving off fragments from the mask less often of late. The previous wheelbarrow of cadavers they brought back from Hyrule were too far gone in decomposition to be of any use. He fumed at them for not getting this single requirement right; he ordered the bodies to be dumped out at the back of the temple to be burned along with the others.

At length the mages completed their task and collected the four pieces of wood they successfully managed to shave off the mask. For the most part, it was still intact and had almost all of its original shape; the bottom portion of the cheeks was where they chose to do the carving. Gathering them together in one bundle, they reverently held it out to Barrachas for inspection. Scrutinizing the small splinters of wood, he nodded his head in approval before accepting them from the apprentice's outstretched palms.

He directed the black robed mages out of the room before deferentially closing the door to the inner chamber. Gripping the shards in his hand he swept down the corridor, his midnight cloak billowing out behind him. He was a disagreeable man with a striking roman nose and piercing yellow eyes; he had only a few wisps of brown hair on his head, which was usually covered with the cowl he usually wore. The rest of his body was concealed with a black cloak with elaborate runes engraved on the front seams; reaching all the way down to his wooden sandals.

Barrachas ignored the moaning that came from the walls as he stalked down the corridors. Upon his arrival and instating the Nevachrean religion of Ballos; they had erected a temple with brick made from straw and mud. Hardly a worthy material for one such as the god he followed. Nevertheless it was better than nothing. When they ran out of straw or mud they gathered more from the surrounding country; while they waited for the materials to be delivered, they continued work on the temple and utilized bodies instead. Even in un-death; they still served their purpose well.

Swiping away the grasping hands as he passed by one particularly egregious corridor, he entered the altar room where the floor was perpetually slick with blood. He wore the wooden sandals purposefully so he would not slip on the torrid mess. Placed on the central platform was a fresh body, one of the few they managed to pluck from a nearby village. It was fresher than most cadavers he had worked with recently; it would have to do.

"Is the sacrament ready?" Barrachas intoned; not looking at the robed tyro standing by the altar.

"It is, my master." The man wheezed; the stale air of death was lethal to the lungs of the mages who made this temple their home.

"Then let us begin." Barrachas smiled; he loved bringing new life into this world from what was once dead. It was one of the few joys he had.

Taking the cup of decaying blood, he washed it over the dead man's body; making sure it covered every inch of skin. It was a nauseating job but it had been done so many times he barely thought about it anymore. Once finished, he flipped the man over with the assistance of the mage onto his back. Opening the mouth of the carcass, he embedded one single sliver into the tongue. Within moments it absorbed itself into the mouth and dissolved completely.

"Chain him." Barrachas directed.

Hastily, the tyro did as he was commanded; an air of urgency was needed here. The body began groaning as its internal organs began pumping back to life with the fresh blood from the re-beating heart. The apprentice redoubled his efforts and with a sigh of relief shackled the final limb to the platform.

The man's eyes sprung open as it turned its head towards them; it immediately began struggling against the chains while screaming incoherently for their blood. Barrachas sneered at the brute; it was always like this every time. They awoke with a rapacious hunger to kill and eat; the first few attempts at this rite had been disastrous and the revived cannibals had broken loose into the population. They took far more precaution with reawakening the dead these days.

Barrachas smirked at the thought of seeing the almighty Naar in this state when he first died. He was unsure if the ritual would be successful and offered to have it tested on his men first as a matter of experimentation. In time, the majority of the able-bodied men who died were taken into the temple for reanimation; they stole bodies from neighboring countries they had conquered, all of them added to their collective might.

Promptly discounting the raving man on the altar, Barrachas looked over the myriad of other platforms set up in the room; there was a time they were enlivening hundreds of men in a single day. At this rate, they would be running out of people to indoctrinate into their army. He grinned; they might even have to start resorting to the women if they ran out of bodies.

"Keep him chained for two days or until his hunger settles down. Release him and send him directly to the quartermaster to ensure he is equipped and trained. He will have lost some skill since his death." At the apprentice's nod, Barrachas turned and left the chamber.

Stuffing the remaining slivers of wood garnered from the mask into a pouch at his belt; he proceeded past the macabre halls and out into the sunlight. Standing dazed for a few moments, he looked around to orient himself in the town square. It was a hovel of a city; one that never fully recovered from the dismantled pact with Hyrule. The buildings were in a haphazard array of completion; some were refined brick and mortar while others were straw huts. There was no consistency to the chaos.

The only thing that was constant was the brick wall they had erected around the entire city of Glaun'rung when they first commenced the war efforts. Many soldiers were manning the ramparts throughout the day and even into the long hours of the night. There were few men left in the conurbation that were not inducted into the transference of Ballos. They were either deemed too weak to be of use or were old and feeble to begin with; considering the times, they might even consider those able bodies a viable option.

Barrachas paced across the plaza, ignoring the burbling fountain that barely retained its vigor. Making a line towards the primary pub in town; he swung the front gate flaps wide as he entered the dim lit shack. The proprietor looked up in alarm, mustache bristling; upon seeing who it was, he immediately looked back down and resuming washing the glasses. A filmy residue clung to their sides as he dried them off; the only water available being tainted.

Barrachas saw the two men he was looking for and strode over to their table; picking up the skirt of his robe before setting himself down on the chair, he glared at the two of them. These two idiots were always a thorn in his side; and Naar seemed to agree too.

It was these two men that even suggested the blasphemy that someone attempt to don the mask of Ballos. Barrachas had wanted them executed on the spot; Naar quelled the situation but proceeded to inquire what would happen. Furious at this heresy, he needed Naar to agree to his plan and thus had to prove the point. Taking a replaceable soldier, he ordered him to put on the mask. Within seconds, the man's body had melted into a mass of blood, bones and goo; Naar subsequently agreed with the transference option.

"Well?" Barrachas snapped, "Have you stopped the bandits from stealing our caravans and brought back their bodies?"

Talamir snorted in his drink as Timner leaned forward to answer the priest, "Unfortunately no. They keep giving us the slip."

The high priest huffed irritated, "Those supplies don't come cheap anymore. We are slowly running out!"

Talamir set his tankard down on the table with a belch, "We were tasked to return back to the frontlines this morning."

"What?!" Barrachas bellowed; making the bartender nervous and his waitress jittery.

"He wants us to return to Hyrule and lead the final charge in eliminating the Gerudo." Timner explained calmly; it would do no good in upsetting the priest.

"That fool doesn't even know how to wage a proper war! He needs to abandon Hyrule for it is already conquered. He should move north into their neighboring ally so we can reap the riches of their land and acquire more units for our nations' might!" He clenched his fist at them.

Talamir and Timner gave a sidelong glance at the other; it was clear that the objective of Naar had not been revealed to Barrachas. Naar still kept a few things close to the vest and did not trust the high priest to keep his word in ushering Nevachrea into a new age of prosperity. They continued to sip their drinks as they let the man rage; it would be unwise to reveal Naar's ultimate purpose in Hyrule.

Presently, the priest had wound down from the tirade and his breath was shallow from the exertion. "I came here in hopes of building a community dedicated to Ballos; what I find here is a nation who is unwilling to convert."

Talamir chimed in, "Granted, you enabled us to initiate this war; so in essence, you have directed our attention away from your primary goal."

Barrachas shot the man daggers; Talamir quickly redirected his focus back down into his drink. The priest placed a hand to his creased brow, "If Naar would simply stop this foolish nonsense in Hyrule and move onwards, we could end this farce."

Timner said smoothly, "You know he won't leave until he feels the wrongs Hyrule has done him have been righted."

"He was our king, we must still follow him." Talamir maintained.

"Was!" Barrachas said, pointing a finger at Talamir, "He was your king. He forfeited that right when he chose to be general of this grand army."

"I'd still follow him." Timner mumbled into his drink as he took a swig.

The priest shot him a look before drawing out the mask slivers and placing them on the table with a maroon cloth. "Here are the latest shavings from Ballos. Be sure he gets these; the bodies they send back are too far gone to be of any use. Better to recruit new volunteers at the front."

Talamir nodded as he carefully wrapped up the pieces in the cloth before placing it in his belt pouch. "Thank you, we'll make sure he gets these."

Barrachas kicked back his chair in rage as the waitress stumbled and dropped a tankard of beer all over his cloak. The young girl scrambled up from the floor and apologized profusely; she had meant to bring over the drink and set it in front of him.

"Please forgive me master! I did not mean to upset you!" Her voice quivered slightly.

Ignoring his sopping robe, he examined the young woman with a critical eye. She was an oddity in the midst of mediocrity; she couldn't have been any older than 16 cycles. They still reproduced in this nation? His gaze lingered on her budding form, just reaching the cusp of maturity. He flicked his focus over at the bartender; the terror in his eyes belied his intent. He had kept her safe and hidden here in this bar disguised as an old hag; if she had been discovered sooner, she would have been sent to the frontlines as entertainment. It had been a long while since he had a young one; they were always the sweetest tasting.

"You are a pretty, little thing are you not?" Barrachas murmured; placing the back of his hand along her cheek. She shivered at his revolting touch.

"I am nothing without Ballos. He gives life to us all." She intoned dutifully; hoping it would appease the high priest with her piety.

"As you will give yours to me." The priest mocked.

Her eyes looked at him curiously before he surged in; locking his lips onto hers. Her irises bulged as she felt his invasive tongue pierce her throat, digging deeper into her body. The feeling was violating as she felt his muscled appendage wriggling deeper into her chest. Her screams were muffled as she panicked and banged her fists into his chest as the tongue tore through the fibers of her innards.

Her body went limp as Barrachas secured the object of his desire; he slithered his tongue out of her mouth with her weakly beating heart resting on it. With a slurp, he drew the fleshy organ into his mouth and swallowed it whole; allowing the poor girl's body to collapse to the floor lifeless. The proprietor bowed his head onto the wooden counter; he had lost another of his girls in just four orbits. Tears began forming in his eyes at her death.

Licking the rest of the blood from his lips, he said satisfyingly, "That was sweeter than I remember."

"And…that was disturbing." Talamir said; setting his tankard down, unable to drink any further.

"There is something not natural about you." Timner agreed with his brother tensely.

There were many abnormal things about Barrachas that intimidated the brothers to no end; this occurrence being the latest in a long string of unnatural happenings. Naar was right to keep things from the high priest; he was a dangerous man, if he ultimately was one at all. He had brought so many unholy things into Nevachrea that seeing stuff like this was hardy shocking anymore. Regardless, it was such a waste of a good female.

"That's what they all tell me." Barrachas rumbled content with his profane meal. He turned to the two brothers before waggling a finger at them. "Make sure he gets those." Without another word, the priest parted the swinging bar doors and was gone; dismissing the soft weeping of the bartender who had gently wiped away the spittle of blood trailing down the girl's lips.

"What should we do with the girl?" Timner proposed.

"We burn it with the others." Talamir said morosely; the owner scowled at them but dared not rebuke them.

Timner sighed in longing, "Such a waste…"


	49. Chapter 48 - The Long Journey South

- **CHAPTER 48 – The Long Journey South**

"Yes, that's it. You don't have to suffer the misery any longer." The soothing voice whispered in his ears.

Link was sitting a fair distance away from the campfire; but well within the reach of its light. He dared not go any further or the protection of the Cyn'Taak would be negligible. The pack of Wolfos were lingering around the edges of their group; biding their time for an opportunity to strike. It was only by the grace of having a Cyn'Taak among them that they tarried along the border; whining and panting with hunger.

It had been a week and a half since they left Yolland with Ingo and Ashley in tow; within that short span of time, Xavier had grown in size substantially. She was just about the height of Link's head when she stood; the Cyn'Taak was still too young in orbits for any real venom being produced in its wicked barb of a tail. Thankfully the Wolfos had no way of knowing that fact and elected to steer clear of its massive bulk. She was sleeping comfortably near the fire, with her tail wrapped around her like a blanket; her gurgling snores quite loud in the oppressive gloom of the night.

In his hands he gazed upon the mask of Majora; he had finally put a name to the memories he had once blocked long ago. Of a land called Termina lying in an alternate dimension; a place he stumbled across in his journey to find Navi. In this weird reality, there were duplicates of every person he had ever met; some were the same, others were quite different than his previous experience with them.

His meeting with Kafei and the Bomber Gang brought back a multitude of remembrances; they were like night and day. The Kafei and kids he knew in Termina were carefree and kind; courageous and daring. They had a certain passion for life that was infectious. His encounter with this reality's Kafei was quite different and it bore a permanent mark on his soul for having experienced it.

The flood of horrible experiences came crashing down on him in the past week; he recalled first the raping of the Kokiri and his childhood home. He remembered the destruction of the Zoras and his subsequent capture just beyond the doomed Kakariko Town. No doubt Hyrule Castle and the Gerudo at this point had fallen; and now Kafei. His heart ached with so much grief that he couldn't bear to go on.

Link began sneaking off at night to regard the mask with growing awe; how easy it would be to simply just put it on and forget all the cares of the world. To let the host take control of his mind and allow him to seek vengeance on the vile men who dared disrupt his world. Each night, the whispers grew stronger in his ears and permeated his thoughts. The bloodshot eyes stared into his soul and promised solace in its depths.

"I just want everything to be the way it was." Link droned just barely above a murmur.

"And it can be; all my power will be at your disposal if you but put the mask over your face." The mask lulled.

He barely noticed his head slowly slipping down as his hands began raising the mask higher. The urgency in its very fibers was reaching, stretching out to grasp Link's face and claim it as its own. How simple it would be to just place it on. His eyes were so close to the interior of the mask he could make out the individual patterns of the material it was carved from. Just a few inches more, he thought, and he would feel the cool, loving embrace of the mask.

"Link, is everything all right?" Malon called out to him; only a few paces away.

Link shuddered, startled at her sudden interruption of his thoughts; with a quick movement, he stashed the mask back into his pack before closing the flap. A silent howl of rage echoed through his brain as the mask fumed at being denied yet again. Straightening up, he twisted his torso to get a better look at her; she walked over before sitting down beside him.

"Yeah, everything is fine." Link mumbled hastily.

"Fine, don't tell me fairy boy. Just don't expect me to tell you the truth when it matters!" She countered hotly; even though Link could see it was a jest.

"Don't be like that Malon…" Link began.

She punched his arm roughly, but not painfully. "Oh, I'm just teasing you Link! If you don't feel like telling me just yet, that's fine. It's just that you've been rather aloof lately."

His gaze flickered briefly to his pack before resting back on her face, "I guess I'm just in a bit of a funk. Seeing Kafei, or rather, our world's Kafei, really made me happy for once. However, with the way things turned out…" He let the sentence hang, knowing full well she knew the story. Indeed, after a few days of recovery, Malon was eager for news as to what happened while she was sleeping. Zelda informed her meticulously along the journey.

She placed a comforting arm around his shoulders as she rested her head on him. "I understand your feelings; but it was his choice to make. He had to bear the consequences of his own actions." Malon reasoned.

"I understand that; but I can also see his point of view too. With the people of Yolland doing nothing but standing by while their own country destroys other nations; are they no better than them? By condoning the action, does that make them equally responsible?" Link refuted, confusing himself in the process. It was all so complicated.

"I don't have that answer Link." She sighed deeply, unsure of how to comfort her dearest friend. After a time, she broached the subject that had been on her mind; seeing this as a perfect occasion to question him. "Could you tell me what exactly you were doing with that fish woman?" Malon asked tentatively.

She could feel Link tense up slightly at her inquiry; a few moments passed before he responded haltingly, "I don't exactly know myself. Her name is Ruto and she was…maybe is still the princess of the Zoras. She liked me." At a glance from Malon, he pressed, "Well, she liked me a lot. She thought we had been married."

Malon gasped, raising her head to look at him. "Were you?"

Link scrunched up his nose, "No! I like her as a friend and all, but seeing her in that light just gives me an unsettling feeling."

"So what happened then to have you become naked under her?" Malon grilled ruthlessly.

If it had been daytime, she would have surely seen him blush. "She knocked me out." He placed a hand by his temple. "The last thing I remember was falling to the floor. When I awoke…" He gasped slightly as he recalled the scene. "I…I don't know; she did something to me."

Malon laid her head back down on his shoulder once more, "What did she do?"

It was clear Link felt prickly with the topic, "It felt good but sickening at the same time. Like I had been violated and there was nothing I could do about it. Now I just feel odd about the whole situation." His shoulders slumped.

She hugged him tighter with her arm before responding, "I understand, I'm sorry I ever doubted your intentions. It was just so shocking to see that though. You do not have to tell me any more if you don't want to."

Link nodded his head absently as he sighed in relief. His gaze swept the rolling fields and spied several sets of eyes looking back. "They just keep following us, don't they?" He gestured over to the pack of Wolfos sitting on their haunches in the distance; quickly changing the subject.

Malon shivered from something other than the wind; she looked out into the blackness at the creatures. "I'm sure glad we have that sin…syn…" She struggled with the pronunciation.

"Cyn'Taak." Link corrected.

"Yes!" She exclaimed happily. "That. I'm glad we have it, but does it have to be so…repellant? The way it feeds is just disgusting!"

Malon had been in a pain-induced coma for much of their encounter and escape with the Cyn'Taak, so they had to explain where the small infant had come from. Once she saw how they were feeding it, she had to go somewhere to retch. After a time, she got used to the unusual sight and was now actively participating in hunting down deer, elk and other wildlife game for use for its voracious appetite. Indeed, they had to hunt whole animals several times throughout the day to satisfy its ravenous hunger.

Link looked back to see the sleeping behemoth resting comfortably by the fire; Zelda was leaned up against it talking with Ingo. "Agreed, but Zelda says we had to take responsibility for it now that we've torn it from its mother and got her killed. Now that I see what it does for us, I think it was a wise decision; better to have something that dangerous to be on our side than against us."

"So, you ready to turn in for the night?" Malon quivered, this time from the slight chill.

Thinking a few moments more, Link finally stated, "Yeah, let's head back to the group."

Looping an arm through his pack, he assisted Malon up from the faintly dampening grass; they walked back over to the fire pit hand in hand. Zelda looked up briefly from her conversation to smile at Link; her eyes lingered slightly on the two of them holding hands. Her countenance fell mildly at the sight, but she kept the happy look for their sakes.

Leaving them to set up the bedroll that they would all share together as they had done in the past, she turned back to Ingo. She was fascinated with the simple life he had lived these past few cycles. Ingo delighted her with tales of his boy, Lloyd, and all the crazy antics he would do to upset his mother. She laughed when he recounted one time he had brought home several frogs and stuck them in a pot pie Orauna was baking; she was not thrilled to see the end result of that meal.

Although he was not downcast in telling tales of his now deceased family; there was a certain sadness to the man. Ingo refused to leave Yolland without first burying his family and those of the villagers properly. It was just as well since Malon required several days of bed rest to recover fully from her painful operation on her lungs. There were only half a dozen men left in a town with nothing but women and children; the Southern Raiders had taken their toll on the poor hamlet, and it was dear.

Feeling some sense of obligation in joining their cause, he offered to lead them to Glaun'rung far to the southeast. He claimed contacts from within the town that would enable them to sneak in undetected and finish whatever task they were to complete. Apolloni had been a bit vague on the topic; preferring to instead keep her distance from the rest of the group. Ever since Aveil's death, she was not quite herself; if there ever was such a thing with her.

"Your family sounds charming Ingo." Zelda complimented with sincerity.

Ingo mused in sad thought, "They were." He sighed; he looked up at her with a smile. "It is not every day one gets to tell his personal life story to the Princess of Hyrule."

Ever since Apolloni had routed their secret over a week ago, they dropped any pretense of hiding the fact. From then on, everyone knew her for who she truly was, Princess Zelda. With any lack of information about the whereabouts or wellbeing of her father, she might as well have been queen. Queen of a dead, conquered country; she scoffed sometimes at this and was quite hard on herself for not being able to do more to defend her kingdom. This course of action about striking the very heart of Nevachrea seemed to be the only viable option left to her.

Apolloni had divulged little of the overall task Ganondorf had set upon her; but it required Link specifically because of his heritage. How exactly it was revealed that he was part Hylian, Sheikah and Nevachrean was unclear; Link had a hunch it could have been the earnest nature of Saria during her long talks with Ganondorf. She never could tell a straightforward lie to save her life.

"Well, I'm always interested to hear people's life stories. I feel that I learn new things from others every day." Zelda flushed at his praise.

"That is a good trait to have in a ruler; I feel you will go far. That is, if we reclaim your kingdom." He finished at seeing the defeated look on her face.

The conversation having reached an abrupt end, Ingo excused himself and set up his sleeping bag on the opposite side of the fire. He was still not comfortable being so near the Cyn'Taak. He walked past the young boy they had taken with them; Ashley shriveled away from Ingo's blistering glare.

He was not forgiven yet of trampling over Lloyd; Ingo was utterly merciless with taunting the boy and berating him for every bad thing he did. Zelda and Malon offered to make peace between them but were promptly told off by Ingo; they ultimately dropped fixing the harsh treatment of Ashley, for they needed him for the final leg of their journey. Merin cringed each time Ingo cuffed the youth behind the ears when he slipped up carrying some of their bags off the horses each night.

Ashley scampered over to the Gerudo woman who had become somewhat of a surrogate mother for him; for some inexplicable reason, Merin felt her motherly tendencies kicking in whenever she was around the boy. Never being chosen to get pregnant by the elders, she went for cycles without knowing what it was like to have children. She was already in her thirties, past the prime for child bearing, and she had given up all hope in becoming a mother. Taking the young boy under her wing, she felt renewed as a woman and within the short week they had traveled, was quite protective of him.

"Did you water and feed the horses?" She asked him as he settled in next to her. He merely smiled at her and nodded his head.

"That's good. You do a great job Ashley." She beamed at him as he shyly looked away from her approval. Merin wrapped him tight in her arms and gave a kiss to his hair.

Zelda looked on in yearning as she observed the two of them setting up their bedroll together. Ashley had taken it upon himself to cling to Merin and they slept combined in the same bag; like a mother hen and its young. The Gerudo had certainly changed for the better since adopting the wayward youth; it was clear to all involved that Ashley was a victim in the whole affair, the only one who didn't bother to see it was Ingo.

Turning to Link and Malon, she saw they had just settled comfortably in the roll; he was looking in her direction, an obvious question written on his face. She shook her head convivially; yes she was coming to bed! He grinned as she got up and made her way to their conjoined sleeping bag; swiftly slipping in and settling herself next to his furnace of heat, they relaxed together and looked up at the stars.

Ingo frowned as he regarded the trio, "I would never have thought Talon's daughter and the Princess of Hyrule would be so scandalous in sharing a man like that." Disdain in his voice; even after so many nights watching them sleep together, he still couldn't wrap his mind around the concept. He had only known one woman, Orauna.

Merin offered an explanation as she looked up from her bag, "I don't think it is as you say Ingo." He looked at her incredulously. "I've spent a good while with those three already and I don't think there is anything funny going on there. I see it as three friends enjoying company together; that and body warmth, it does get quite cold at night."

Ingo grunted, "I can see where you are coming from; it is just odd seeing it from my perspective." He paused, thinking about who was talking, "Coming from you however, it doesn't mean much! Your culture is based around nothing but your sex." He pouted.

Merin smiled as she overheard the soft snores of Ashley next to her, "That may be true, but it also gives me more credibility." Ingo shot her a look but she pressed on, "I know what sexual looks like," She gazed upon the three friends happily whispering to each other as they pointed out constellations, "and that is not it. To think that I could be as happy as them; to have friends like that."

Ingo mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath as he rampaged into his bedroll; within moments he had his back turned to the group and was fast asleep. Merin looked out across their camping space. What a motley crew they were; two Gerudo (three if you counted Malon), one Hylian princess, one Nevachrean, one triple-half breed, one Hylian boy and a Cyn'Taak. She shook her head in amazement; she would have never guessed leaving her homeland that she would be here in this place with this crew.

Merin gazed over to Apolloni; she had situated her bedroll further away from the others, well outside of the heat the fire was producing. She exhaled despondently; with Lorva and Aveil gone, she had little else in common with her sister Gerudo. It was clear there was a difference in loyalties between them and Apolloni had begun to treat her like the outcast Malon was.

She focused her attention to the three of them huddled together; the two women had already fallen asleep, their arms draped over Link's chest. She could discern he was still awake but staring up at the stars; what was he thinking? As much as she longed to be with a man; to have him warm her bed and fill her body with his manhood, she knew deep in her heart she would probably never have Link. There were already two who had laid claim to his heart; even if he could not see it, it was obvious to her.

"At least I have you little buddy." She whispered softly to Ashley as she snuggled in tight, keeping the boy warm. Putting her protective arms around him; she soon fell fast asleep. An infuriated howl of the nearby Wolfos pierced the night; it went unheeded among the group, for they had a Cyn'Taak.


	50. Chapter 49 - Princess of Twilight

_This chapter took longer than I had expected; I was looking up all sorts of theories, canon knowledge and wikia references to build this chapter. I wanted to make sure all aspects of what I was going to introduce would NOT conflict with established canon, but rather add on to things behind the scenes. Stuff that was only ever hinted at in the games; so here is my personal take on the powers of Kotake and Koume and their ultimate role in Gerudo society. I cannot say for certain if the princess of twilight will return again in this story, but here is an interesting cameo for you all. I sincerely hope I got her personality right, gauging where she is now, considering this is many centuries before Twilight Princess perhaps. So her goals, demeanor and the like would be notably different than what we are used to; only through her experiences with Link in TP does she soften as a character._

- **CHAPTER 49 – Princess of Twilight**

"What?" Kotake snorted groggily righting herself quickly on her broom; it had become apparently clear she was nudged out of her stupor.

"You were sleeping again sister. Were you dreaming again?" Koume chortled; having some personal humor at Kotake's expense.

Kotake looking around her and realized they were passing over the eastern mountain ridge bordering the desert; they were trailing it down southward towards the colossus. The moon was just cresting past its zenith. Memories of the previous days had come back to her in a flash. They had eradicated the Gerudo Fortress defenses; allowing the Nevachrean army to surge in and take command over their once proud home.

Slightly appalled at how their people, those that were left behind, were treated; they sailed back to General Naar and demanded answers for this abominable treatment. Naar dispassionately handled their complaints with ease; casually dismissing it merely as the friction of war during a very heated time, he assured them that in future engagements and interactions with the Gerudo things would proceed more smoothly and respectfully. Mollified, the witches accepted the answer and whisked off into the night.

"I was." Kotake murmured; her thoughts adrift among the dark corners of her memory. "I had a vision, I believe."

Koume's eyes expanded with interest, "Oh? We haven't had one of those recently have we sister?"

Kotake shook her head in agreement, "No we have not."

"Do tell. What did your vision consist of?" Koume asked eagerly; eyes glistening with anticipation.

Sailing through the air on their brooms; Kotake surveyed the mass expanse of desert and spied the looming monolith in the distance. They began angling towards that direction as Kotake began recalling her dream. "It was the strangest thing sister. We were fighting against that youth, Link, in the temple of the gods. He was using our own magick against us!"

Koume gasped in dismay, "That is not possible." She thought about it some more. "Do you think that is what will happen to us if we continue to assist Ganondorf and Naar in this endeavor to support Link?" She probed hesitantly.

Kotake shook her head slowly, "I don't believe it was something that will come to pass. I feel like it was a vision of a former life; or maybe it was another reality. I can't be certain which."

"How odd." Koume grated. "There are so many mysteries surrounding that young man; so many prophecies are built up around his birth. Many don't seem to make sense; yet all of them pinpoint him as the lynchpin to the future."

Kotake bowed her head in assent, she was also well aware of the prophecies Koume spoke of. The future was forked into various paths and almost all of them were dark and ended in nothingness. Only one seemed to offer any sort of hope for the Gerudo; it was quite unclear as to Link's involvement, only that he was essential to the survival of their people.

The moment Link returned from the future, they felt the repercussions of his actions; they didn't quite understand what had happened or who it was that traveled through time, but both witches became keenly aware that the future had been altered. Their first suspicion was when Ganondorf was imprisoned and that fake letter forged in their name was found on his person. They suspected it had something to do with this time traveling individual; they kept a close eye on the castle and eventually pinpointed the anomaly.

"Regardless sister," Kotake crooned, "we must assist this impudent boy; it is the only way we will gain access to the Triforce."

Koume swore an oath, "None of our magicks amount to anything compared to what the Goddesses laid down. If we had no need for that whelp, we'd simply access the Master Sword ourselves!"

Kotake grunted in approbation, "Speaking of which, if we are to reach Nevachrea tonight, we must speak with her."

Koume understood who she meant, even without the name ever being spoken; meetings with this individual were tenuous at best. "Hmmm, looks like we must fulfill our end of the bargain to get what we require."

Touching down on one of the outstretched hands of the statue carved into the monolith; the two witches entered the temple. They startled several Gerudo with their appearance; despite their involvement in the siege at their fortress, none of the women dared confront them on the matter. Giving the two a wide berth, the Gerudo filtered around the two sisters as they stalked down the passages of the inner complex.

Kotake and Koume stopped briefly at the makeshift laboratory set up in a side chamber that was filled with cobwebs and caked with dust. The golden brick glowed softly amongst the warm torches littered along the walls providing the only source of light. Terrance was readjusting his oversized glasses on his nub of a nose; irritated whenever they slipped off. He glanced up from his work to see the two crones waltz in pompously; he sniffed in disgust and turned back to his intensive work.

"Have you made the final adjustments to that weapon yet?" Kotake warbled with disdain for the enfeebled man.

"We need to have the bomb ready by the time we finish our errand to the south." Koume clarified the timeline.

"Bah!" Terrance flapped his hand; their noses twitching in crankiness at his visual insult. "You can't rush art. How many years have I made weapons for you? How many years have I been unpaid for my services? How many years have I-"

"Silence!" Crowed Kotake; her voice furious, "Your life hangs by a thread and you dare to insult us, you old coot!"

"It is Mr. Mizumi to you!" Terrance blubbered; he finally had enough of the mistreatment by these rapscallions. "A good look in a mirror will sort out who is older, you old bags!"

"What?" Flustered Koume, "How dare you insinuate our ages are anything above two hundred!"

"Humph!" Terrance grumbled with clear animosity. "I frankly don't care how old you are. You can go croak on your own wrinkles!" With a huff, he turned his back on the two witches and continued his experiments; this was clearly the wrong thing to do.

Terrance gasped in shock as his right foot was encased in ice; disabling him from moving from where he stood. "You will learn to respect the elders of the Gerudo; especially those that have watched over and guided this great nation throughout the years." Kotake sneered; a deadly glint in her eyes.

Terrance screamed in agony as his foot melted away in the burning fire from Koume; leaving nothing but a seared stump. Lacking balance, he crumpled to the ground in a heap; his glasses flinging off onto the brick floor. The implausible notion of losing his foot was flooding his brain, allowing him to focus on little else but the pain.

"You will get up and you will continue working on our pet project; and there will be no more complaints!" Koume seethed; with a jerk of her hand, she utilized her magick to sling Terrance back up onto his feet before ramming him over his work bench.

Groaning from the new injuries, Terrance struggled shakily up to a standing position; employing both hands on the table to keep his weight balanced. He shot the two witches a scathing look that they promptly ignored; with a flourish of their elongated sleeves, they hobbled out of the room clearly in great humor at his misery.

"I think that well sister." Kotake cawed jovially; she cocked her head as they walked down the corridor. "Do you think we were a bit too harsh on him?"

"Nonsense!" Koume refuted. "He is just a male; moreover he is not our king. Who cares what happens to him? Just so long as he gets the job done!"

They both chuckled at this simple truth; they continued on their singular objective, making their way through the winding passages and chambers of the complex temple which was the last refuge of the Gerudo during these dark times. Their ultimate goal was the mirror room; the exterior amphitheater was built into the backside of the colossus many millennia ago before even Kotake and Koume took over their predecessors' jobs as spiritual leaders of the Gerudo.

Both women were initiates in the arcane arts when tasked with leading the future of the Gerudo nation; there would always be a king of the Gerudo, one who would lead their people to continued prosperity. However their precursors involved them in one of the greatest secrets of their tribe; through the use of the dark magicks acquired from a uniquely different world, they were able to control the birthing of all male children. By keeping the culture wrapped around one king who could be controlled; they could manipulate the male to what they desired the Gerudo to achieve.

Unfortunately for Kotake and Koume; something along the way went awry. Years of plotting and planning; ciphering down the genetic lines to produce the ultimate Gerudo male provided them one of the most rebellious kings ever conceived. Neither witch could understand where they went wrong with their calculations; their intense prophecy readings turned up nothing, it was as if the man was possessed by an inner desire to rule outside of what they insisted for him.

They gazed upon the black stone standing at one end of the central enclosure with reverence; they stepped up to the central dais before looking at each other with uncertainty. Rotating the mirror so that it faced the rock, they sketched special pentagrams in the air as they summoned the dark powers of the Twili to activate the portal.

The inner blackness of the mirror sprung to life; multitudes of circular arcs spiraled in tightening circles across its surface. A beam of grey light flared across the arena from the depths of the mirror, resting on opposing stone; stretching deep into the rock beyond what looked visually possible, a revolving, spherical hallway of mysterious energy appeared. Neither witch had ever dared to enter the realm of the Twili; they knew very little of that world and were uncertain of how to return from that dreadful place.

In time they began to see a shadowy figure slowly walking towards them from the inner gloom of the twilight corridor. The dark skinned woman was cloaked in a midnight cape; a black snakeskin belt held up a murky sash wrapped around her waist that did little but cover one leg fully. Elaborate runes that shone an iridescent blue adorned the two gauntlets that she wore on each arm; it was clearly ceremonial but neither Kotake nor Koume could read the unknown script. Her lengthy, auburn hair was hanging down past her shoulders and clasped together by an indescribable brooch; she truly looked the epitome of royalty.

The instant her foot touched the moonlit stone; her physical manifestation disappeared, warped into the shadows on the floor. The two witches tracked her movements intensely as she swept from shadow to shadow, getting closer to their position. Within moments they felt the unsettling sensation of something stepping into their innermost being; they looked down to see the outline of the woman's shade rise up between the two of them.

"What is it you want of me? As I've told you before, there is nothing further I can teach you without the payment we agreed upon." The woman spoke proudly.

"We need to know your secret art of teleportation." Kotake spoke; feeling awkward talking to a shadow on the ground.

"We have need of such magick to transport to somewhere far away." Koume finished; aware that this woman was sly beyond measure, best not to reveal their entire hand.

A lilting giggle echoed throughout the amphitheater; causing facsimiles of laughter that made her mirth sound utterly eerie. The shadow responded slowly, with clear mocking tones, "After four hundred years and you just now decide you want to learn that from our tribe?"

Flustered at her cocky attitude, Kotake fumbled slightly, "We just never had a need for such abilities until recently."

Koume added hastily, "We humbly ask that you teach us this hallowed magick; like you've taught us all these years, Princess Midna."

Both witches felt it prudent to be deferential to this creature of twilight; they each bowed low to the shadow in their midst. A cackling laugh reverberated through the shade before simply replying flatly, "No."

Kotake's bulging eyes snapped open, "What?"

"Why not?" Koume intoned, with a slight hint of a whine.

"Not without that which you promised me. I am a patient woman, but your incessant stalling is trying my fortitude." The two hags groaned as each clutched their chest; a heavy burden was placed on their hearts and it was getting harder to breath. "Do not forget who taught you everything you know to further your own fruitless ambitions. Your petty string pulling of the Gerudo is of no consequence to me; I assisted you only so that you may act as my hands to acquire that which I desire: the Fused Shadow."

The witches trembled at the might of the Twili's power; the Fused Shadow was an accursed relic that was created ages ago, in a time long since forgotten. It was the physical manifestation of magick so dark and dangerous that it was destroyed; split into several pieces, they were given by the Goddess Hylia to the light spirits that pledged allegiance to her. They were to guard these profane artifacts until the end of time. This unholy expression of magic was once used by an ancient race known only as 'The Interlopers'; beings that were intent on claiming the Triforce for themselves.

Midna continued caustically, "If you do not have what we agreed upon, then our conversation is over. You have wasted my time."

Both witches felt her presence slipping from their shadows; Kotake cried out in desperation, they still needed her assistance! "Wait! We have one piece."

A slight hesitation was felt in the darkness, Koume surged onward with the remainder of their news, "It was not easy to kill a light spirit for this piece, but we give this to you in return for one more session to learn your arts."

Between the two of them, they produced a black, horned helmet; its presence sucked the very light from around it. It was fractured around the bottom revealing only one unblinking eye where it would have gone over the bearer's face. Malevolent energies were spiraling outward from its structure; a vertex of dark magick was permeating the air around the trio. Kotake and Koume could feel the yearning of Midna as her shadow reached upward to grasp the object.

"So do we have a deal?" Kotake said smugly.

A chill rustled their robes as Midna's shadow left their own; they saw it further down the enclosure near the black stone. "I'm afraid not. I asked for the entire Fused Shadow, not just a single piece. I've assisted your nation well beyond what I should have, now is the time I claim my due. I will hold onto this piece as insurance that you will come with the other three. Once I have all four pieces rightfully back where they belong, then I will deign to teach you further; not until then."

"That's not fair! We worked hard for that piece!" Koume snarled, pointing a gnarled finger at the flitting shade.

"Your troubles are not my concern." Midna said coolly. "If you truly cared about the livelihood of your people, like I do mine, you would spend less time on this war and more time getting me the last three pieces. Only through the assistance of the Twili can you hope to defeat this threat." If they could see her face, she would be smirking cruelly.

"So are we to just abandon all those in our care to go chasing after these things?" Kotake asked flummoxed.

"They are spread out all over the land; it would take orbits to find them all!" Koume smoldered; blast this princess! They had simply no leverage on her at all!

Midna reformed within the spiraling vortex stretching inward deep into the stone; she turned to smile at them. "Then I suggest you start flying; time is not on your side." She raised her hand to close the portal but stopped midway. She turned her head to the witches before interrogating, "Do you know of a light dweller who came through this way five moons ago?"

Kotake and Koume looked at each other quizzically; they shrugged before turning back to Midna. "Nothing we have ever heard of." Kotake offered.

"Was it someone important to you?" Koume probed; eager to find something to blackmail against this woman.

Midna barely shook her head, "No. This light dweller came to us asking for information; leaving only just recently. I was curious if you knew anything about someone using this portal without your knowledge." At the bewildered looks of the two crones; Midna gathered all the information she needed. "I thought as much." With a wave of her hand, the portal closed and the light from the mirror faded. The surface of the rock was flat once more; leaving the two witches alone in the silence of the night.

**-Break-**

_So when do you think we should tell the others?_ Sora intoned in Saria's mind.

Saria hummed nonchalantly as she laid out her bedroll in the particular way she liked it; standing up she looked down at the bag satisfied, she nodded before responding back. "When we get closer to Nevachrea; I don't think we should trouble them just yet."

_You know Impa would recognize who it is._ Sora affirmed jestingly.

"Are you saying I should reveal our visitor to her now?" Saria asked.

_Yes. At least confide in the one person who would understand the significance._ Sora proposed.

"Who are you talking to?" The voice said from within her shirt.

Gasping, Saria peeked down inside her shirt to see her little guest; she had completely forgotten that she had the visitor placed inside her tunic. It had been a long time since she talked so casually to Sora openly like this. For those not well versed about what occurred seven cycles ago; it would appear to any bystander that she was quite loopy talking to herself.

"I'm sorry. I can't believe I never told you!" Saria tittered. "Quite a few cycles ago, I almost died." The little voice inhaled at the news. "I know! But Sora saved me, which is why you don't see my fairy anymore. She is inside me now; I can hear her speaking to me. She can be very noisy sometimes." She added as an afterthought.

_Well, if you want me to stop talking, I will! Just don't expect me to speak again, even if you want me to!_ Sora pouted.

"Oh, don't be like that Sora! I didn't mean it." Saria laughed. Her smile slowly faded as she got nothing back but silence.

"Did she leave you?" The voice asked.

"No." Saria said gloomily. "She can't ever leave me. We are joined as one now; her thoughts are mine, her feelings and emotions are extensions of me. Sora is just a bit upset right now, she'll come around eventually."

"Sounds dreamy." The little voice bubbled. "I went looking for ways how to do that."

Saria peeped down into her shirt once more, "Wait. Don't all fairies know how to do that?"

"Well, yes…that is true. But mine is a special case." The voice explained.

Saria looked up at the others; Giana was helping Talon feed Epona and Harden while Nabooru was setting up their bedrolls for the night. Impa had chosen to sleep off by herself next to a wayward tree; Ganondorf started the fire with his magick and was slowly increasing its strength. They had traveled hard these past few days; allowing little room for rest. They were within a few more moons of the Nevachrean capital of Glaun'rung; only a few more days until Saria could see Link again! How happy he would be!

Saria smiled, "Yeah, I get what you mean."


	51. Chapter 50 - Gaining Entrance

_This is a bit of a slower chapter, but I'm setting up a few character interactions here that I hope will pay off later in this act and of course, in act 3. I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far, act 2 is quickly drawing to an exciting close! Be ready! Also, there is two swear words in this one, but it serves a greater purpose later; for now, it stratifies the relationship between Apolloni and Merin._

- **CHAPTER 50 – Gaining Entrance**

She yelped as she sucked hard on her thumb; she had pricked herself with the needle when she was threading the weave. She couldn't recall how long it had been since she started this project, at least a few orbits before leaving the Gerudo Fortress? Grumbling at her lack of memory, she stabbed the needle back into the fabric; trailing her path up the seam to connect the two pieces together. She took the fabric with her, hoping she would find time along the way to work on it for him.

"What are you doing?" Link asked quizzically, craning his head to look over her shoulder.

Malon shrieked as she stuffed the project into her knapsack; he clapped a hand to her mouth to prevent unfriendly ears from hearing, although it may already be too late. "Don't scare me like that!" She huffed as he withdrew his hand.

"What were you working on?" Link smirked, pointing at the bag; he had obviously seen something but couldn't really decipher what exactly it was.

She grinned back, "None of your business!"

"And you picked now, of all times, to start working on it?" Link asked incredulously.

Indeed, they had traveled far these past few moons; finding Glaun'rung had been relatively easy, even with Ingo's help. They simply traveled eastward until they hit the roving line of traveling brutes and then headed south from there. The closer they got to the capital, the sparser the groups of men became; either they had finally reached the end of the army or there were acquiring less bodies to add to it.

Despite a few minor skirmishes with the horde upon being discovered as they traveled southward; the journey had been relatively smooth. Xavier was to account for most of that; wild animals avoided them outright and preferred easier prey. The Cyn'Taak had already proven itself a worthy addition to their team as it tore into the hapless men. Link and Zelda were worried that after it got its first taste of blood from a man, it might begin looking at them differently; thankfully it considered the two of them its parents and the rest of the group, its pack.

They were now within walking distance from the walls of Glaun'rung; they were hidden amongst the shrubs on the outer fringes of the tree line just west of the city. Ingo had advised them to wait in concealment as he boldly stepped forward to gain entry into the capital; that had been several hours ago. It seemed he was let in easy enough, but now as the night wore on they were getting worried. It was then that Link noticed Malon was missing and went to go find her; she was illogically working on something.

Malon gestured with her hand towards the city wall, "It's not like I have anything better to do! He's been gone for several hours and who knows when he'll show up again? I felt it a good time to work on something personal of mine." She finished with a defensive look.

"Well, if it's that important, then I have to see it!" Link said with glee.

"Oh, no you don't!" She jeered as she flopped over her pack as he pounced on her.

Within moments, they were a flurry of limbs as Link tried to reach around Malon and dive his hands into the bag. She utilized all the strength she had just to keep him away from it. The tussle quickly devolved into fits of laughter and mayhem; with one final roll, they laid on the grass next to each other, winded and beat.

As their merriment slowly winded down, Link turned his head to face her; Malon's eyes were shining even in the darkness. He smiled; she would have never been able to romp like that over a week ago, her wound had healed nicely. Perching himself up on an elbow, he leaned over her with palpable intent in his eyes; she looked up longingly and did little to resist. Ignoring their current situation entirely, they merged together for the kiss. After having been denied for so long on this trip of being close to each other alone; their inner furnaces were lit with an unquenchable thirst. Link pressed his lips hard onto Malon's as his tongue fought for entry; she wrapped her legs around him tightly as she positioned him over her.

"Din have mercy! You picked now, of all times, to be doing this?" Apolloni hissed, just feet away.

In a flash, Link rolled quickly off of Malon as the two of them flushed embarrassingly. Link was the first to speak up, "Sorry, I guess we got carried away. Is Ingo back yet?"

"No, he isn't." Apolloni grimaced. "I swear you two are like a pack of female dogs in heat!" She simply shrugged, "Not that it matters anymore. Grab your things and come back to the group. I do not need to be losing track of you now Link." She gave him a knowing look as she turned around scornfully and stalked off towards the tree line where they had set up vigil.

Link groaned in agony at his hard member; as much as he wanted to ignore Apolloni's commands and finish what they started, he knew she was right. They needed to be present for the current situation; not lost in their own personal fantasy world together. He glanced over to Malon and could tell she was in agony as well, her breathing coming out in ragged gasps.

"Come on Malon, grab your bag and let's rejoin the others." Link murmured dejectedly.

"Yeah…okay." Malon said monotonously; her mood had been instantly deflated.

They filed through the undergrowth, pushing aside branches and leaves to find Apolloni sidling up next to Zelda. Although in an attempt to whisper, it was clear she was trying to be loud enough for everyone to hear. "I found them frolicking together behind a bush back there. No sense of responsibility or duty, those two." She sneered at them as Zelda's eyes locked onto his.

As childish as Apolloni's comment was, the effect it had on Zelda was immediate and devastating. Merin watched with interest while Ashley simply looked bored; Xavier was dozing against a nearby tree and cared little for the petty squabble. Zelda's eyes emptied as she beheld the two of them sheepishly walking up beside her; what had she expected? Apolloni could sense the complex relationship between the three of them and in her wicked way, exploited it to the max extent possible.

She wanted to cry but held it in check bearably. Zelda knew she shouldn't be angry at the two of them; they were all friends but Malon and Link appeared to be more than that. Why shouldn't they have their happiness together? What about those two was making her feel so jealous when she really shouldn't be? Did she really feel that strongly about Link? Did something awaken inside her for him during that one night she almost had him?

"That was uncalled for Apolloni." Link scowled at her.

After a laugh, she responded maliciously, "I only call it how I see it. You were too busy wanting to fuck than to keep your head to the task at hand."

Zelda gasped at the foul word Apolloni used; Merin stepped in pointing a finger at her, "You do not use that word around Ashley!"

Apolloni whipped around as she spat with venom, "And what would you know about protecting a young boy from the immoralities of this world? You are not his mother! So stop fucking acting like it!" Merin winced again at Apolloni's deliberate use of the word.

It appeared that they were going to come to blows when Malon interjected, "Look! Ingo is coming back!"

With one final glare at Merin, Apolloni shifted her attention back to the city. Malon was pointing at two men who were shrouded in brown cloaks; if one was Ingo, he had been given a cloak since being inside the capital. They appeared similar in build and almost had the same walking gait; the left man carried a lantern in his hand but had it unlit. Within minutes they reached the trees and filtered into the group, arranging themselves in the center.

Lighting the lantern, both men took off their hoods; to the astonishment of all, they looked exactly alike. Upon closer inspection, there were some slight differences, but it was unmistakable they were brothers. Ingo spoke first to clear up the matter, "This is my brother, Francis Gorman."

Francis bowed his head in greeting as he surveyed the group; his mustache twitched when he regarded the snoring Cyn'Taak up against the nearby tree. His eyes lingering slightly longer on Xavier before turning back to everyone, "My brother, Ingo, says you have need to sneak into the capital city? Why the devil would you want to do that?" He exclaimed mystified.

"I did not know your whole purpose in coming here, so I did not know what to say." Ingo apologized to Apolloni. All eyes gradually went to her; she had been holding back on their mission here in Glaun'rung. Now was the time to reveal it.

Apolloni glowered at them all; her thoughts racing on how best to keep her appointed task clandestine. Her focus moved to Link before she haltingly explained, "We need him because of his unique genetic make-up. We believe he is the key to exploiting the unnatural power the Nevachrean possess."

Francis scoffed, "You mean summoning weapons?" With a flurry of movement, both Ingo and Francis brandished swords; each of them drawing it on the startled Apolloni. "Every Nevachrean male has that ability. So clearly that is not the unnatural power you speak of." Francis smugly gloated as he vaporized the weapon into mist; Ingo followed suit.

Apolloni shot him a look, "No." She stated scathingly. "I was referring to the fact that Nevachreans can't die. Ganondorf has confirmed the source of this power lies somewhere in that city." She gestured off towards the imposing wall.

"Oh?" Francis simpered. "And where did you learn that interesting piece of information?"

Merin piped up helpfully, "From Kotake and Koume, Ganondorf's-" She was immediately silenced by a frown from Apolloni; she realized she had spoken too much.

Noting the exchange between the two, Francis continued undaunted, "That assumption is false, not all Nevachreans are immortal. If you were to kill Ingo and I, we would not regenerate. You are correct in that what gives them this unholy power resides inside the city. Only those who are volunteered," He laughed as he spoke the word, "for the army get to have that special 'honor' bestowed upon them."

Ingo clapped a hand to Link's shoulder and nudged him towards his brother, "This is Link. All claims point to the fact of his triple blooded heritage: Hylian, Nevachrean and Sheikah."

Francis rubbed his mustache keenly as he observed the youth, "Interesting. Young man, have you been able to summon anything you couldn't explain?"

Link nodded, "I was able to summon three horses and then a bow."

Francis's eyebrows rose at the mention of the horses; those were extremely hard even for the layman to apparate. "Impressive. Can you demonstrate to me now by calling a sword?"

Link held out his hand as he tried to call upon the inner energy he knew was there; waiting deep inside. Try as he might, he could not apparate anything more than a few puffs of black vapor. The surging feeling he got when he had need of the horses or bow was lacking; he could not force it to come to the surface. At length, he dropped the arm to his side and shook his head with disappointment. "I'm sorry. I don't know how I did it. It simply happened." Link offered.

Francis nodded his head, "As expected, nobody masters the skill without some formal training. I can help you with that."

Apolloni rudely interrupted, "What does this have to do with getting inside the city?"

"If Link is as important as you claim he is, then wouldn't it be judicious to ensure that his all-important heritage is useable?" Francis rebutted her with a sneer; he turned back to Link, "My boy, if you are willing, I would be happy to teach you what I know so you can call on your power should the need ever arise."

A smile broke across his face as he nodded, "Thank you Francis. Thanks to both of you."

Ingo scoffed, "Don't thank us yet! We haven't even infiltrated Glain'rung yet!"

"That reminds me." Francis walked up to the sleeping behemoth. "We will not be able to take this creature in with us. He will have to be left out here."

"That's a she." Malon corrected under her breath.

Zelda gasped with a start, "You mean all alone? Xavier has never been all alone before! Should someone stay out here to watch over her?"

"I hardly think that is necessary." Apolloni derided.

Francis considered the interesting creature, "As much as this Cyn'Taak fascinates me, it would completely blow our cover. It has to stay outside the city. Besides, these things usually live in the wild, don't they?"

"Xavier has been with us the past few weeks; we are not sure if she would be able to handle herself alone." Malon explained.

"Well, isn't that a pickle." Francis concurred.

Merin looked down as she felt Ashley tugging on her robe; she regarded his movements as he pointing to them and then to Xavier. Understanding his idea, she revealed it to the others, "Ashley and I can stay out here and take care of her."

Francis looked over at the young boy; his eyes glazed over with the beginnings of tears. He had completely missed the fact there was a young boy with them; such innocence was to be protected. "Yes, as much as I'd love to bring Ashley into my home and warm him up with some good food and a warm bed; I feel he would be safer outside Glaun'rung. We never see children anymore; if one simply showed up out of the blue, I dare say it would raise suspicions."

Seeing the look on Zelda's face, Ingo moved to placate her fears, "My brother and I know the city like the back of our hands; we can move in and out as we please. We will supply fresh food and drink to them here in the woods nightly."

Francis bowed his head in satisfaction, "Well, that is settled. Let us get the rest of you beyond the walls." As the group dropped their packs to leave in the care of Merin and Ashley, Francis turned to Merin and handed her a pouch. "Look inside, it isn't much, but it'll get you two through the night." He beamed warmly at her reaction of gratitude.

Taking those who were coming into the city with him, Francis traveled further into the forest. They came across a game path that meandered out to a hidden grove; situated in the middle of the clearing was a covered wagon which was in remarkably good shape. He blew a low whistle into the woods; within minutes, two spotted horses emerged from the path. Francis directed the lot of them to insert themselves into the empty barrels towards the front of the carriage as he drafted the two steeds to the front of the wagon.

"Why must we hide in these?" Zelda asked scrunching up her nose; the barrels smelled like decayed beer.

Ingo filled in the details for Francis, who was busily fastening the reins to the bits in the horses' mouths. "My brother is an owner of a bar; one of the few left in the city. He sometimes makes trips to resupply his dwindling stock; they usually only check the back few barrels, so try to keep to the front ones just behind the seats."

Once preparations were complete, Francis hopped onto the back of the carriage and inspected each of the barrels; the first few towards the back were filled with colored water to pass for beer, the smell of the wood did the rest. He checked on each of his passengers before closing the lids and sitting up front alone, Ingo had hid within a barrel as well. With a quick snap of the reins, Francis maneuvered the horses out of the woods and onto the nearby road; making it plainly obvious he was there.

The clopping of the horses and the gravely sound of wheels churning the dirt alerted the sentries to the incoming intruder; they flashed their torches to neighboring guards as they directed their attention to the wagon. Several men rolled on out through the opening gates as they leisurely made their way over to Francis, raising a hand to signal a halt in his advance.

Casually inquiring about his business, they inspected the first few barrels at the back of the carriage; after a sniff, they seemed satisfied and waved him on through. Francis guided the wagon through the dirt-caked streets, along various roads towards his pub and inn. Finally stopping the horses at the side entrance to his wine cellar, he quietly signaled for them to remove the lids and step out into the shadows of the building.

"So do you do this often?" Zelda asked; thankful to finally be free of that horrid smelling container.

Malon agreed as she straightened out her green dress; one that had been given to her by Ingo. It was one his wife once wore; she was very flattered and grateful to receive it. "It seems you are well prepared in the unlikely event someone wants to get into the city." She spoke accusingly.

Francis chuckled, "Actually, this method was used to ferry people out of Glaun'rung. You are the first people who actually wanted to get inside!" That knowledge quickly put an end to their inquiries.

As Francis helped them file inside the inn, Link asked, "This seems a bit much. I thought you said you knew this place inside and out; why did we have to go through all this just to get inside?"

Francis pointed to a nearby corner of the wall several dozen meters away from his pub, "See that guard tower? There is a lack of guard patrol every night around that tower. I can use a ladder to get to and from the city from there. I felt since I didn't know what all your talents and skills were; I figured the safest bet was to go with the big group option."

Link grinned, "I think you might have underestimated who you were dealing with."

"Clearly." Apolloni chimed as she brushed past the two of them and headed into the building.


	52. Chapter 51 - Reunion at the Gates

- **CHAPTER 51 – Reunion at the Gates**

It was a morbid sight; Zelda had to hold her lunch as she beheld the horrific temple. Multitudes of bodies were encased in its structure still alive and in constant throes of misery; the moans from those unfortunate souls were heard for blocks around. The twisted structure rose up in haphazard spires centralized around a grand dome; several sheets of human skin were draping over the curved surface like some disgusting display of artistry. The ungodly mix of both organic and inorganic material to construct this abomination of a temple was repellant to her.

"Why do they keep them alive?" Zelda said with a slight rise to her tone. "What purpose does it serve?"

Francis grunted as they peeked around the corner of the condemned shop, "Well, for one, they use the bodies as a means to strike fear in the hearts of the simple minded villagers who remain in Glaun'rung; no one would dare approach the place, so they are left relatively unchecked in their daily activities. Second, due to lack of materials at the time, Nevachrean bodies sufficed for the job." Seeing Zelda grimace, he explained further, "They keep them alive because if they died, their corpses would ultimately decay and cause the entire structure to become unstable; indeed it is a fate worse than death."

Link spotted several black robed figures emerge from the one and only temple entrance they were able to detect. "What about them? They seem relatively unarmed."

Francis shook his head knowingly, "I wouldn't try it. They may be apprentices under Barrachas, but they are highly skilled in the dark arts."

Apolloni cursed under her breath, "If there was only one of them, I could probably dispatch him singlehandedly."

"I'm sure you could." Francis humored her with a smug look.

Ignoring her scowl, Link pressed further on a topic Francis glossed over, "Who is Barrachas? You speak as if he is the leader of their order."

"He is…in a manner of speaking." Francis nodded. "A very…unpleasant fellow. He trusts no one, not even his own acolytes. Barrachas entered into Nevachrean history about a hundred years ago, well before I was born. Whatever he did, enabled Naar and the rest of his entourage to become immortal; he set up shop here in the capital and instigated Naar to build that profane temple. I do not know what goes on inside, but sometimes late at night I can hear the screaming."

Malon shivered at his tale; she waited for the robed figures to disappear down an opposing alley before speaking, "Is this some sort of perverse religion? What do they worship?"

Francis shrugged as he motioned for them to retreat back behind the cover of the building. "They call him Ballos; I have never heard of such a god nor seen any of its powers. Barrachas came to Nevachrea looking for converts and he found it in Naar. Utilizing his kingship, Barrachas was able to swiftly convert many to his cause. I don't know what his final aim is; all I know is that his ambitions are quite different from Naar's."

"How do you know all of this?" Link asked, it was clear the man was quite knowledgeable in the ways of the enemy.

Francis crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall, he began recounting, "I'm an owner of both a pub and an inn; you hear all sorts of stories, rumors and gossip when you are in my profession. My brothers and I moved here about thirty years ago during the heyday of the army. There were many volunteers traveling from far and wide to come sign up with the greatest army the world had ever seen."

He continued as Link and Zelda gave him surprised looks, this would put them right at the time the first Nevachrean invasion occurred in Hyrule. "Many were promised glory, riches and land. All supported the invasion of Hyrule and signed up eagerly to accomplish the mission. My brother Ingo was the smarter one of us, he knew this could only end badly; he proceeded northwards into Hyrule to start a new life there. Given the vast resources and militia of Hyrule, it was obvious who the clear winner would be."

Francis pondered a moment before speaking further, "My other brother, Regan, was drafted into the army and went northwards. We do not know what became of him. I chose to smartly stay in the capital; if I was to keep my head on my shoulders, I needed a job that was in demand. Setting up a pub to please the soldiers and local populace secured my position in the city. Granted, they no longer need sustenance with the way things are going, but simply tasting what is no longer useful to them is a comfort; so here I am still bartending."

"That matches up with when my mother had me." Link murmured.

Zelda looked at him forlornly, "As did mine." Zelda added, "If I recall, my father made a pact with the Gerudo king at that time. He was an old, feeble man; basically on his death bed from what I've been told. Utilizing the new, rising male of the Gerudo as keeper of the pact, the Gerudo set up a barrier between our country and Nevachrea."

Francis indicated his assent, "You are right. After we were sealed off from your country, the entire nation fell into ruin. It was then that Barrachas started turning the dead into unholy murderers. Naar gave up his kingship and preferred to command his legions as their general; he left the ruling of his country to Barrachas, something I feel was a mistake."

"Is that why Naar doesn't care about his country anymore? It seems all he cares about is conquering Hyrule." Link mused.

"I agree," Apolloni muttered, looking around the dilapidated streets; her mouth contorted disgustingly as she noticed a man open up his shutters from the upper floor window and toss out his bucket of feces onto the dirt below. "This city is a place of squalor and seems hardly defended outside of the barrier wall and the few regiments of troops that man it."

Francis looked over at the piling mound of steaming refuse under each window, "There is so little here of any value anymore that it's hardly worth defending. The only thing Barrachas covets is what lies inside that temple; that much I do know. With him and all his followers, they don't need much else in the way of protection."

Malon had been absently listening to the conversation as she continued to stare at the macabre structure in the center of town; she quickly tugged on Link's sleeve as she pointed at two armored men exiting the building. She only saw them for a few moments, but she would never be able to forget their faces. Link turned to see what she what she was referring to and stopped dead in his tracks; Talamir and Timner were here…in the capital with them!

"Francis!" Link hissed. "You didn't tell me Talamir and Timner were here!"

His eyes popped open as Link spoke the names, "I didn't think it was relevant! Where are they headed?" Francis asked nervously.

Link popped his head around the corner again, "It looks like they are headed in the direction of your pub."

"We must return quickly! They are regulars at my establishment! Ingo is filling in my place, but if he goes to serve them, his cover will be blown and most likely ours too!" Francis squawked.

The group immediately scrambled down the narrow alleys and streets; leaping and dodging over disgusting piles of excrement and urine; the smell was overpowering but they gagged it down and continued their frantic pace. Every few blocks, they looked down perpendicular backstreets to gauge how far along they were in comparison to the brothers. Talamir and Timner were minutes away from the pub as the crew busted in through the entryway shutters, startling Ingo half to death.

"What is it?" Ingo exclaimed, mustache quivering. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes!" Francis yelled. "Get upstairs to the bedrooms and don't make a single sound! No one is supposed to be occupying those rooms at this time! You too Ingo!" He violently pointed up the stairs as they blundered up and crammed into a single room, slamming the door quickly behind them.

Francis had just stepped alongside the counter as Talamir burst through the entrance. The two brothers sidled up to the bar and smirked at Francis. "Well, you will be glad to hear that we leave today. We thought it a good idea to come have one last drink, on the house. What do you say?" Timner sniggered.

"As you wish." Francis absentmindedly spoke; he grabbed two tankards and began filling them from the tap.

Talamir raised an eyebrow at this peculiar reaction from him; normally Francis would have some witty, disparaging remark about their bad natures. Something was obviously bothering him, "Oh, don't be so down Francis! That was only your second daughter, you can always make more right?" His tone was intended to sound concerned, but they all knew otherwise; Timner started guffawing, pounding his fist on the wood.

Francis shot them both daggers as he slammed both tankards in front of them, "Just drink your fill and get out." He demanded.

Timner recovered from his laughing fit and joggled a finger at him, "You better watch yourself Francis. If you piss us off, I'm sure Barrachas would love to know you have a third daughter somewhere." They both laughed uproariously at this; they loved to torture him to no end.

Francis' eyes welled up, "Please, just get out."

Talamir gulped down his drink before setting the tankard back down, "Very well, be good Francis and we won't have to reveal your little secret."

They both turned to go as Timner finished his drink; they were almost to the door when a loud creak from above gave them pause. Timner turned to Francis before quietly uttering, "Are there any tenants in the house at this time?"

Trying his best not to look guilty, Francis quickly replied, "Not tonight, no. This is an old building, sometimes it makes odd sounds; you know, from the settling."

Timner looked back up to the ceiling, trying to pinpoint where he heard it, "Indeed." After a moment, he shook off his suspicions and headed out with Talamir. "Farewell Francis, we head north. Keep the hearth warm for our return, eh?" The two of them laughed the entire way outside.

Giving himself a few minutes more, Francis finally collapsed onto the bar counter, panting heavily with anxiety. Once he had sufficiently calmed down, he headed upstairs and opened the door to where the group was hiding. Zelda, Link and Malon were perched on the bed while Apolloni had taken up residence over by the window; Ingo was sitting in a chair by the decrepit vanity. They all gazed over at him as he entered the room.

"Is everything all right?" Ingo asked of his brother as he quickly got up and moved over to embrace him affectionately. Given that his own family had died at the hands of Kafei and the third brother unaccounted for, that left Francis his only living family member. The warmth of his familial love for his brother ran deep.

"Yes, they are leaving this afternoon to report back up at the front." Francis said with a relieved sigh; things were about to get less hectic around here. Barrachas and his tyros rarely came in to his pub, so it had only been the last few orbits with Talamir and Timner that were tense.

"Who is buried out back?" Apolloni asked, gesturing towards the freshly dug grave in the pitiful garden below the window.

Francis choked up briefly as memories returned of her ghastly death at the hands of Barrachas. "That would be my eldest…or rather my second eldest, Olivia. That garden was her personal project; I encouraged her to pursue her passions. I do not know what happened to her older sister."

Malon cocked her head at this confusing description. "You had two daughters?"

"Three." He corrected. "My oldest, Terra, was taken from me by the army and sent to be used as entertainment for the troops. That was seven cycles ago, I do not know what has become of her."

Malon shivered at the thought; remembering the brief glimpses back when she was captured, she had a vague idea of what happened to poor Terra. In fact, she might have even seen her and not realized it. "I understand. I'm sorry."

"And that one?" Apolloni said unceremoniously, jerking her finger at the window.

Zelda scowled at Apolloni for her lack of tact, "He's already lost two daughters, why must we bring up the pain for him yet again?"

Francis held up a hand to belay the inevitable tirade Apolloni was about to unleash, "It is okay. It is probably good that you all should know how vile these people are. I lost Olivia to Barrachas only a week ago."

"Did he kill her with his magick?" Zelda probed.

"Worse." Francis looked dejectedly at the floor, "He ate her heart."

"What?" Link gasped shocked, Zelda and Malon had similar reactions. Apolloni merely snorted before looking back out the window at the grave.

"I don't know what Barrachas is, but after all the unholy things I have seen in my time here, I would not doubt he is something else entirely." Francis intoned dubiously.

"You mean he is not a man?" Link said, trying to confirm the suspicion.

"I don't know, I can only speculate. I have seen him do things that I would consider unnatural; the death of my daughter being one of them." Francis walked over to the vanity and sat down on the chair heavily, its legs creaking under his weight.

"You said you had three daughters, where is your third?" Zelda asked; a bit worried for the fate of his final offspring.

His face had aged considerably in the past few minutes as he turned to Zelda, grief clearly in his eyes. "She is safe at the homestead. Even if she were old enough to help me in the bar, given what has happened recently to Olivia, I doubt I'll ever bring Lily here again." He placed his elbows on his thighs as he covered his face with his hands, "What a wretched life we live; where my last daughter can't even leave the house for fear of being taken away or killed or worse!"

Zelda bounded off the bed and placed a hand on the man's shoulder; weeping bitterly into his hands, he did little to resist her consoling touch. "I'm so sorry." She said clumsily; it all started to make some sense, Francis had warned the females not to leave the inn in broad daylight. He knew little of their skills in battle, so he was simply being cautious as well as considerate for their welfare; her heart boiled with rage to see what Barrachas had turned this city into.

"They are here!" Apolloni tersely stated, rising tall. All eyes were on her as she looked out of the window, scrutinizing beyond what she could see of the wall; she was strangely communicating without even talking. Zelda looked closely and could almost see flickers of light dance within her ruby encased on her forehead. After a moment, Apolloni turned to the others, "Ganondorf is here with a few others, he did not expound on them. They have encountered Merin and they are about to kill Xavier."

"What?!" Zelda and Link yelled in unison.

Apolloni huffed arrogantly, "Apparently, they think the Cyn'Taak is another mindless beast and it's acting quite aggressive towards them. Ganondorf is furious with Merin for defending it."

Zelda rushed to the door before being called back by Francis, "Xavier will not back down until she knows Link and I are safe!" She said anxiously.

"Why in blazes would a Cyn'Taak listen to you?" Francis asked skeptically.

Link followed Zelda out before turning to him, "We took the creature from its mother some time ago; we are the only beings it has been with." He gave an askance look to Apolloni, "It sort of…considers us its parents."

"Gracious! And you are simply intent on leaving out the front gates as you are?" Francis cawed.

"No," Link refuted, "we are going over the wall which you pointed out last night."

"By Farore's light! Do you want to get seen?" Francis declared, as if talking down to a child. "I told you that the guard relaxes their watch during the night, it is the middle of the day!" Exasperated at the rashness of youth, he heaved himself off the chair and tramped over to the doorway, pushing the two of them out of the way. "Follow me, we'll ferry you two out of here the same way you came in: through the front gate. The rest of you stay here and keep watch. Ingo, run the bar for me while I'm gone, ok?"

A flurry of activity followed with Apolloni and Malon setting up the new rooms according to Francis' specifications while Zelda and Link prepped the wagon that was parked in the alley. Ingo wiped down the bar and set up the pub for the evening clientele, of what little there would be. Within minutes, everything was in order and Francis was rousing the horses from their stupor; with a clap of the reins, they were off.

Francis had to quickly fabricate a logical explanation as to why he was leaving yet again so soon after his previous delivery; he hoped that the current cadre of sentries didn't come to his bar tonight and see a carbon copy of him tending it. With their dull witted minds falling for the false story, he urged the two steeds onward down the path until they rounded the bend where they could safely navigate back into the sheltered copse.

No sooner had they pulled into the grove and released themselves from the barrels could they hear Xavier snarling. Link and Zelda sprinted through the thicket, branches swatting their faces, towards the commotion. They both yelled for everyone to cease fighting as they stumbled across them; Merin was violently parrying blows with Nabooru, who was just as intent on killing Xavier as Ganondorf was. The beast was attempting to stab the Gerudo king with its barbed tail, but he irritatingly dodged every attempt.

Saria screamed Link's name as she saw him, forcing the others to terminate their altercation. Zelda rushed to Xavier's side and gently rubbed the trembling belly of the monstrous Cyn'Taak; it was very agitated and seemed to resist calming down to her soft touch. Ganondorf backed off as he perceived the threat nullified; with a huff he turned back to his horse and relaxed up against it, watching the others with a wary eye.

Saria rushed into Link's arms as he crushed her in a bear hug, elated to finally have his childhood friend back in his life. With a squeak, she pushed away from him, almost forgetting her little visitor inside her tunic. He looked at her quizzically, "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, joyful to be in his arms again, "No, just happy to see you is all."

Link let her go and allowed her to fly beside him as he walked over to Talon who was still sitting on Harden, covering a frightened Giana in his arms. He beamed as he walked over to them and placed a hand on her shaking, petite arm, "Hey princess. You are safe, your knight is here."

At his voice, her head jerked up; tears still in her eyes, she leaped from the saddle into his arms, "Link! Link! I'm so glad it's you!" She sobbed into his shoulder; it was evident this trip had been hard on her.

"It's good ta see ya, my boy." Talon grumbled affectionately. Link merely nodded, holding the little bundle of joy in his arms.

"You keep some strange company, Link." Impa crooned behind him, gesturing towards Xavier.

He smiled dangerously, "I do what I can!"

Impa laughed at his humor. "Cheeky as always. I swear I'm rubbing off on you." She ruffled his hair as he playfully swatted her hand away. "There is someone who dearly missed you." She moved aside to reveal Epona behind her.

As if waiting all day for this moment, Epona rammed her snout into his hair and began nipping fervently; neighing with pleasure as she tried to get as close as possible to her master without trampling him to death. "Hey, stop Epona! That tickles!" Link laughed as Giana giggled at seeing her shining knight being assaulted by his own horse.

"So what now?" Zelda turned to Francis, ignoring the playful banter of Epona. Francis seemed flummoxed at how he was going to conceal all these people.

"Too many women, too many children and too many people." He sighed. "We can't simply take the wagon back in, it is far too soon. We will have to wait until the cover of nightfall to reenter the city."

"What is the problem?" Ganondorf rumbled. "You have a dark wizard at your disposal; we can simply walk through the front gates now."

"And they have dozens that won't die easily." Francis exhaled discouragingly.

Ganondorf massaged his beard a few moments, "That does change the plan slightly. Very well, we will follow that course of action and wait until darkness."

"We're all coming, right?" Saria asked hopefully.

Francis smacked his forehead, "No…you're all going to be the death of me."


	53. Chapter 52 - Reawakening the Past

- **CHAPTER 52 – Reawakening the Past**

"I want no part in what is going ta happen tomorrow." Talon grumbled, soothing down Giana's ginger hair as she slept calmly by his side.

Impa nodded her head as she pulled up the covers on Ashley; his eyes drooping with the weight of his exhaustion. Despite the fact that they were kept inside the inn for the past few days, Francis found much for the kids to do. They had been cleaning and reorganizing the rooms; the place had never looked cleaner and if the plan ultimately succeeded tomorrow, Francis would be the proud owner of the first building to be refurbished in Glaun'rung.

"I understand Talon." Impa soothed calmly, pressing a gentle hand on Ashley's forehead before murmuring a few small words; within seconds the boy had passed out and was in blissful slumber. "These children are the future of the world we are going to create for them; the less they have to see of these horrors, the better."

Ingo grunted in agreement; he had been sitting in a chair along the opposite wall watching the bedtime rituals of the two children. "As much as I hate to admit, even Ashley deserves a chance to live a life free from the strife Naar and his army have brought."

Talon gave an inquiring look towards Ingo; the two of them had always had a strained relationship and their reunion a few nights ago was no different. It wasn't until the second day that they finally spoke to each other and settled their differences; it was tense for a while, but it seemed all had been forgiven on both sides. Malon had been thankful that Talon was equitable enough to work with Ingo and his brother in assisting Ashley and Giana around the inn.

Ingo's reflections over the death of his family still ran deep and he never did trust Ashley with anything of value and was overly protective of Giana despite the little girl already having a plethora of guardians at her beck and call. During the rare times they allowed the two to play out back near the garden, he would always be watchful of the boy. Ingo gradually loosened his vigil on Ashley as he saw how dutiful he worked around the place, tidying up the pub even into the wee hours of the night.

"I think I'm gonna ta turn in fer the night." Talon grunted as he lifted his legs up onto the bed and scooted closer to Giana; nestling her tiny body into the crook of one of his arms. Hiding out in the inn for the past few moons had taken its toll on everyone; nerves were shot and tensions were high. "Give my regards ta the rest, I'll watch over the young'ns up here."

Impa smiled as she quietly stood from Ashley's bed and strode over to the door; she looked in Ingo's direction expecting him to follow. The man took one final look of regret at Talon and Giana, resting peacefully in their bed before standing and following Impa out into the hall.

"I know this will sound odd," Impa began as she lightly closed the door. "but there is something I must do with Princess Zelda tonight and we will not be attending the meeting. Please see to it that the others understand."

Ingo smiled as he brushed his mustache with his forefingers, "You have my word, my lady." He spoke chivalrously.

"Thank you." Impa beamed; being around Francis truly did do wonders on his brother, she mused.

The two of them contentedly strolled down the hallway; taking the stairs one at a time as they looked through the rails at the group gathered at the largest table in the pub nearest the roaring fireplace. It was getting uncomfortable living in close proximity to Ganondorf and Apolloni together; they were slithered up next to each other in the corner chair, her body disgustingly draped over his lap like some parasite. Her disposition had improved considerably since Ganondorf's return; there was some odd sounds emanating from their room each night, Impa shuddered at the thought.

Link was sitting opposite Ganondorf with Malon and Zelda flanking him; Saria, not to be left out, sat in a chair kitty corner to Link's position. Francis had called the meeting tonight after extensive reconnaissance on the Temple of Ballos, as the group seemed to have coined it. More acolytes were getting suspicious at the unusual activity within his pub and the time was soon coming before their cover was busted. The time to strike would have to be soon.

All eyes turned to Impa and Ingo as they reached the bottom step. She turned to gently rap her fingers on Zelda's shoulder, snagging her attention. Zelda looked up curiously, "Yes?"

"We have to go somewhere princess." Impa said softly, whispering so as to not be overheard.

Zelda looked confused; it had been a long time since she was referred to so formally in conversation. "Is something wrong?" She asked nervously.

Impa smiled as she shook her head, "No, but there is something we must do tonight, for we may not get another chance at it."

"What are we to do? How do you know this?" Zelda asked, slight anxiety rising in her voice at Impa's calm determination.

Impa exchanged a knowing look with Saria, who was straining to listen in, before continuing, "Let's just say a little fairy told me."

Link, who was close enough to hear the conversation, cocked his head at this peculiar statement, "Can I come with you two?"

Impa frowned in disapproval, "I'm afraid not, Link. Maybe in the future, you may, but for now your presence is required here." She gestured to the rest of the group sitting around the table. "Don't worry," she continued as she saw the apprehensive look on Francis' face, "Zelda and I are well versed in ensuring we are not seen. You do not need to worry about us out there."

With one final touch on the arm, Zelda got up from the table. She gave one last look around; Ganondorf's face was impassive, she couldn't read what he was thinking. Apolloni merely raised her lip in derision at her. With one final glance back at Link, she smiled and turned; Impa and Zelda left the bar shutters swinging as they disappeared into the night.

Noticing flickering lights deep within Ganondorf's ruby but disregarded it, Link initiated the meeting. "Impa and I have been tracking the movements of the apprentice wizards for a few days now; we know where a few of them live and sleep. We have seen no sign of Barrachas, or at least anyone that fits your description Francis." The man nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm guessing the priest lives in the temple itself."

"I can attest to that." Francis offered. "I've only ever seen him out around town if he was on business with Talamir or Timner. I don't recall seeing him outside of those rare occurrences."

"So what do you propose we do?" Saria asked the obvious question.

"I think," Link pressed urgently, slanting forward on his elbows, "we should dispatch several mages in their beds while they sleep." Malon gasped at the cruel nature of it; even if they were horrible men and deserved such a fate, she never expected the idea to come from Link. He pointed a finger at Ganondorf, "I will need your assistance in this matter. Since they can regenerate, I will need you to blow them to dust. Using the Cyn'Taak poison is too noisy and will cause a disturbance."

"It is not that simple." Ganondorf growled. "There are limits to my magick; I can vaporize these fools with the assistance of Kotake and Koume, both of whom are not here. If I try hard enough, I can remove one wizard, maybe two. Beyond that, it would be best off burning the corpses; but that takes time and draws attention. It all depends on how many you want killed."

Link looked around the table before deciding on the number, "Three should do fine. Zelda, Malon and I will take their robes as a disguise and-"

Apolloni's eyes flashed at this absurd idea as Ganondorf interrupted, "Apolloni will go with you; I will only kill three." His tone was firm and not to be contested.

Link glared at the Gerudo king before resuming his thought, "Fine, Apolloni, Zelda and I will go into the temple in disguise. We will do our best to blend in and find this…object that gives these men their unholy powers."

"What then?" Francis asked critically. "Have you even thought that far ahead? I called this meeting thinking that after several days, you might have come up with something better. Once you acquire this object, if there is even one, what will you do? Destroy it? Sneak it out of the temple? Use it yourself?"

Link sat there cursing himself silently; he hadn't considered what he would do once he acquired whatever it was Barrachas held dear inside the temple, he was only focused on simply getting to it.

Francis sighed, his hand pressed to his forehead. "You're a good kid Link. Smart, resourceful and very skilled; however I feel that sometimes you aren't very bright in the planning department." Malon scrunched her nose at his backhanded compliment.

Link was about to rebuke Francis when Ganondorf huffed indicating Apolloni remove herself from his lap and stand beside him; he leaned towards the table as he spoke gruffly, "Since it seems I am the only one with any real authority to make decisions here, I am going to tell you what we are all going to do."

The conference went on for another hour; heated disputes about the new plan shot back and forth. In time, a compromise was made and a resolution to enact the plan the very next day was agreed upon. At the conclusion of the discussion, Ganondorf signaled Apolloni silently to follow him upstairs to their single room; she obediently submitted and shadowed him up the stairs.

"I'm nervous Link." Malon admitted as the two brothers left the pub and went to Francis' home, to his youngest daughter Lily. "I'm afraid for you tomorrow."

Link embraced her tenderly, "It'll be okay. Just keep those horses ready for us in the stable, ok?"

They had just recently brought Epona and Harden into the city on Francis' recent 'return' to the city. It was clear the guards paid very little attention to details since they did not bother to ask where the two spotted horses went; they were left in the forest in the care of Nabooru and Merin, clearly content living off the land than consenting to eat the dried hay heaped in the stalls.

A significant part of the plan was dedicated to escaping the capital regardless if things went flawlessly or not; they were still unsure of what the local populace would do if they were discovered. Malon was to saddle up the horses and fill their packs with the help of Ingo the next morning. To be ready at a moment's notice to assist Link, Zelda and the two children onto the stallions. Ingo and Francis promised they'd summon any remaining horses that were deemed necessary for the rest to make good their escape.

"Do we have to work with him?" Malon said, glancing at Saria. It went unsaid who she was referring to.

Link squeezed her supple body tighter, "I share the feeling Malon. I don't think we have a choice right now; he has talents we could use. And besides," He withdrew from her as he raised a hand up; with intense concentration, he managed to conjure up a single dagger of obsidian into his palm. "What little I can do probably won't be enough." He vaporized the blade into mist as he let his hand drop; the little training he did get under Francis wasn't sufficient to be of any real worth in the looming battle.

_Should we show him now?_ Sora asked determinedly in Saria's mind.

"No, not yet Sora. It is against her wishes, we have to respect that!" Saria spoke abruptly, bringing Link and Malon out of their conversation.

"Whose wishes?" Link asked.

Saria's wings went rigid as she backed up, clasping her hands behind her back. "Nobody! Sora is just talking nonsense right now." Before Link could ask about her obvious fabrication, the Kokiri grabbed Malon's hand and practically dragged her to the staircase. "Come on Malon! It is a big day tomorrow and we need our rest."

Link lifted an eyebrow at Saria's abnormal behavior. Malon fumbled behind the diminutive girl as she turned around briefly to say good night. The two had been sharing a room these past few moons; they seemed to get along well. Talon slept in the same room as the two children while Link had a room all to himself. Impa and Zelda shared the final room at the end of the hall; now that the ruse was up, it no longer seemed appropriate to be sharing a room with the princess of Hyrule.

He looked out the window; where were they tonight? What were they doing? Sighing, he resigned to another lonely evening and trudged up the stairs to his bedroom.

**-Break-**

The two delivered that night's food to Nabooru and Merin; they each accepted it gratefully. Merin had offered to stay behind with Xavier again while insisting that Ashley get a warm, comfortable bed; he shouldn't have to tolerate being out in the wilderness any longer, especially now that the cold southern winds of fall had started to blow. Nabooru, still untrusting of her, decided to stick around to keep a watchful eye on her fellow Gerudo; she was unsure if Merin was still under Ganondorf's sway and did not want a stray agent of his wandering around unattended.

Xavier greeted Zelda warmly as it clumsily instigated a hug; since being around Hylians and not of its own kind, it had tried mimicking certain actions. The sight of such a creature rumbling up to her with arms and claws spread was quite unnerving. As disgusting as it was having its slithering tongue licking her hair, she couldn't help but feel joyful at having something love her so unconditionally.

After some trivial small talk, Impa roused Zelda from the discussion and prompted that they continue on their appointed task. With a final wave goodbye, they delved deeper into the forest. Zelda asked where they were headed but was greeted by nothing but a shake of Impa's head. They pressed further into the trees until they came across an abandoned temple; it looked similar in nature to one they encountered in the Negev Marshlands but appeared better maintained.

"What is this place?" Zelda asked.

"It is a sacred place of rebirth." Impa intoned; a faint trace of a smile on her face.

"Rebirth of what?" Zelda was completely lost.

They made their way inside the structure and proceeded further into its depths. "A rebirth of your memories, my princess." Impa replied calmly.

"I don't understand." Zelda carped, wiping away a spider web that had swathed itself over her hair.

"You will Zelda. I have been waiting cycles for this very moment. It is the reason I was born. That all Sheikah are born." Impa did not wait for a response from Zelda, but surged deeper.

They encountered various creatures of unspeakable lethality; between the two of them, they made short work of the dark denizens that had taken residence inside the temple. At length they reached a final chamber that was pitch black save for a small shaft of light piercing the gloom from the ceiling where the brick had eroded and fallen away revealing the moonlit sky. The central vestibule housed a lake of purest water; so clear was its surface that they could see the ground beneath the watery veil.

"You must purify yourself in the water Zelda." Impa said purposefully.

Zelda looked around in awe; as deteriorated as it was, the room held a certain beauty to its features. "Who created this place?" She asked in amazement, noticing remnants of statues that could have depicted a gorgeous woman, or was it a Goddess?

"You did Zelda." Impa said ardently.

Zelda jerked her head in shock, "But I don't remember…what?" She couldn't wrap her mind around Impa's declaration.

"You created many places with your nature embedded across the lands, not just Hyrule. I was surprised to find the location of this place just recently. I had given up all hope of ever fulfilling my purpose." Impa beamed as she looked on the pristine lake with relief.

Zelda turned back to the water, "What am I to do?"

"Bath in it, Zelda." Impa said, pointing to the cool liquid lapping at the brick steps just a few paces from them.

"With clothes on?" Zelda asked uncertainly; she didn't like the idea of coming back sopping wet and leaving an obvious trail back to the inn, no amount of Sheikah magic could cover that.

"I should think not, but I don't believe it matters either way." Impa shrugged.

Zelda began stripping off all her clothes, gently folding them and laying them aside the steps. Shivering slightly at the chill dampness of the chamber, she placed one foot into the water and gasped at how unusually warm it was. Lacking much more incentive, she dove head first into the luxurious heat of the lake; her nude form cutting through the warm liquid. Presently she stood up from the lake and turned to Impa; water running down her body in rivulets.

"Okay Impa…I've bathed now. I don't feel any different." Zelda was wondering if Impa was mistaken about this place.

Impa waded out towards Zelda, having already undressed herself. She came up to her and pressed a motherly hand on Zelda's shoulder. "I want you to trust me on this. It will be alarming to you, but I assure you that it is necessary."

"I trust you." Zelda said; a slight tremble in her voice.

Impa smiled before placing a firm hand behind Zelda's back and with the other on her forehead, dipped her back into the water. Submerging her entire body, Impa kept her there. At first it felt good; the warmth of the water seeping into her body, then the urge to breathe began creeping in. Zelda attempted to rise up for a breath but was firmly held in place by Impa; she then turned to struggling, her legs kicking out in panic as water began filling her lungs. She screamed in the water as Impa closed her eyes and gritted her teeth; she hated doing this to her.

Darkness crept into her vision as the blurred face of Impa faded from beyond the veil; the pain in her body was agonizing as water gurgled into her nose. With one final gasp, she was on a mountaintop beholding barren plains of molten fire. Zelda swirled around confused, looking at the unknown landscape before her. Flashes of lightning and thunder pirouetted across the sky; the azure blue blocked out by a thick layer of billowing clouds.

She turned her gaze down into the valley and saw millions of demons; hordes of them. They were indescribable horrors that were attacking Hylians, Gorons, Zoras and more; rending them apart, eating them, and even turning them inside out. It was a scene from a nightmare; a dream she couldn't wake up from. She saw multitudes of demons gathering together to assault one last vestibule of light, a single village.

With a shuddering crack, the entire earth shook beneath her. The town began slowly rising into the air; various demons hanging on for dear life before finally falling to their doom thousands of feet below. Zelda watched in awe as she saw the floating island rise higher through the clouds and then out of sight.

A ring of steel and screams of pain jolted her attention back to the valley where a lone man was fighting off the throng. Adorned with a brilliant green tunic and cap that stood out contrastingly from the desolation around him, he was a beacon of hope in the midst of chaos. His sword rang true with every slice, limbs and heads flew in all directions as blood sprayed through the air. The man tirelessly ravaged through the mass before finally being struck down by an errant pincer impaling him through the chest.

Zelda wanted to scream out to the courageous, young man but was cut short as she heard a deafening roar behind her. She twirled around to see an abomination, crawling on six grotesque feet of purest black, oozing blood from its fingernails; the creature approached her with a grin spread across its snout, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth inside its maw. Trailing along its back was a mane of raging fire; an unquenchable blaze that was revolting to look at.

The beast gazed briefly behind her as the man's heart was ripped beating out of his chest. Its cackle made her skin crawl, "It seems, my Goddess, that your champion has fallen."

She burst out of the water screaming; splashing and spluttering up water, Impa helped Zelda to her knees. She cringed and hung onto Impa for safety; a focal point of sanity in a world seemingly turned upside down. She became sobbing uncontrollably for minutes, unable to get the awful images out of her head; where was she? What was that awful creature?

"Impa." She spoke; her teeth clattering not from the cold but from abject terror. "I saw a terrible vision. It was dreadful."

Impa soothed Zelda; stroking her hair calmly, "I know Zelda, I know. It was a memory of your past, reawakened."

Zelda shook her head violently, "If it is part of my past, I want no part in it! Please don't make me remember it again!"

"There is but one other place we must visit." Zelda continued shaking her head fervently, but Impa persisted, "For the sake of our world, you must remember who you were. Who you are. The fate of Hyrule and of Link depends on it."

The mention of his name calmed her; giving her focus. "Will knowing my past truly help him?" She asked fearfully.

Impa placed her cheek on Zelda's head, "Yes, I believe so."

Zelda withdrew and looked up into Impa's face, "You said a little fairy told you to come here."

Impa nodded, "Yes, someone who has a piece of you in her. Like all fairies."

Zelda's eyes grew intense as she asked, "What is her name?"


	54. Chapter 53 - Intimate Encounters

_Warning: Extreme Lemon territory! You all were waiting for this moment: The culmination of Malon and Link's affections for each other! Since I wanted to do justice to their love, this also happens to be the longest chapter I've ever written! I tried to make the scene true to them as characters and as a couple; so there are some unorthodox events that happen during the love making that you normally don't see in other fanfics. I hope you all enjoy it and it is what you expected it to be and more. Be prepared as this is the last 'calm' chapter in Act 2 before we rush to the climatic end of the second part of my 3-Act saga._

- **CHAPTER 53 – Intimate Encounters**

She lay awake in her bed staring at the ceiling; counting the wooden boards above her and how many comprised the roof of their room. She tried sleeping but could not seem to force herself to dream; closing her eyes for any length of time did little to calm her jittery nerves. Everything had led to this night and tomorrow they were going to strike the heart of Nevachrea and potentially cripple their wicked regime.

Malon turned onto her side and looked across the small room at Saria; the Kokiri was sleeping soundly with her gossamer wings turned to her. She never did see Saria sleep on her back, only on her sides or stomach. Malon figured that made sense because of her awkward appendages; it would be rather uncomfortable to be slumbering on them. She wondered what it was like to have something so unnatural sprouting out from behind her shoulder blades; would it hurt if she suddenly developed wings?

Strange thoughts permeated her mind as she tossed and turned under the covers; she didn't usually have this much trouble napping and could more or less fall asleep easily. Her thoughts kept going back to her personal project she had just finished the morning prior; she had been tirelessly working on it for orbits. With it finally done, she was just waiting for the right time to finally show it to him.

Malon sat up suddenly in her bed; if it wasn't going to be tonight and tomorrow was a disaster, then she might not ever get to present him his present! With this clear objective in her mind, she looked over at Saria to ensure she hadn't awoken her and quietly slipped out of bed. Readjusting her ivory nightgown which had rolled up due to her tossing, she tiptoed towards the door. Gracefully gliding through the small opening she made for herself, she gradually shut the door without so much as a sound.

Breathing a huge sigh of relief, she paced down the hall in her bare feet until she came to Link's room several alcoves down; the lights from the hanging lanterns in the hall were dim as the candles had burned low to the base of their wicks. Taking a small breath of courage, she gently rapped on his door and stood waiting with anticipation. After a few minutes of silence, she knocked again slightly louder and stood back expectantly.

The door opened to reveal Link half naked; his rippling torso uncovered and his waist and legs sheathed in white form-fitting tights. She giggled as she quickly looked away; trying to maintain an air of propriety. Groggily waking and realizing who it was, he muttered an apology and quickly tossed on a simple loose-fitting shirt of grey.

Coming back to the door and leaning heavily on it for support, he gazed at her sleepily, "Yes Malon? What did you want? It's the middle of the night."

She continued to giggle; he was sure cranky when he didn't get his rest! She grinned mischievously as she spoke coyly. "I have made a present for you that I think you'll like."

Link pressed his forehead into the door with exasperation, "Malon, I don't have time for these games. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

Malon's lips formed into a pout, "Fine, be that way. I guess I won't show you my personal project you so desperately wanted to see a few moons ago!" She whispered heatedly.

His pupils bulged open as he looked at her from the corner of his eyes, "You mean you're actually going to show me?"

She clasped her hands behind her back as she swayed back and forth innocently, "As long as you show me that object you keep hiding in your pack whenever someone was around."

A look of worry flashed across his face before he molded his expression into one of mirth, "We'll see about that. You show me your present first; then we'll talk about what I have in my pack later."

Seeing as this was as good as she was going to get from him on the matter, she hastily agreed. "Fine. Follow me then!"

Grabbing his hand unevenly, she tugged him along down the hallway; he was somewhat in a slight stupor as he stumbled down the stairs. She had no idea he slept so completely; during the long days on the road she usually fell asleep before he did. She chuckled as he tried to smooth out his disheveled hair, following her towards the rear of the pub.

Escaping out the back entrance to the inn, she scanned the environs for any sentries that could be patrolling the wall near them; seeing no sign of life, she urged Link onward across the moonlit path to the stables which was adjacent to Francis' pub, built alongside the wall. The only reason the structure was still standing, Ingo had said, was because of the lone horses Francis kept for his liquor runs to the nearby provinces; if it had not been for the practical use of those animals, they would have been eaten like the rest for nourishment. Such was the famine that was prevalent in Nevachrea.

They entered the stables quietly as they walked down the rows to where their horses were being held; Epona and Harden each nickered in joyful greeting at the two of them as they rounded the bend to their stalls. Epona gingerly nipped at Link's shoulder as she playfully nudged his chest with her nose; he laughed as he brushed down her neck and gave her an elated hug.

"I've missed you too girl. It's been too long since we've rode the winds, haven't we?" Link asked; Epona whinnied a response in the positive.

After a brief greeting with Harden who seemed more interested in Epona's reunion, Malon examined the saddlebag hanging off his side. Turning around with one arm underneath Epona's neck, gently stroking her soft fur, Link watched Malon attentively as she was taking dozens of fabrics and utensils out of her pack and setting them aside. At length, she found the items she was seeking; she meant to take them out straight away but on a sudden thought she turned to him sheepishly.

"Will you close your eyes please?" She asked excitedly; upon seeing him lift a part of his lip in a rascally leer, she exclaimed, "I'm serious! Please?"

Making a huge fit of an expression to her demands, he dutifully closed his eyes in an exaggerated fashion; she sighed, sometimes he could be quite the handful. After some rustling, she instructed nervously, "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

His mouth dropped open as he beheld what she was holding, it was an adult sized replica of his Kokiri clothing; hand stitched from scratch down to the finest detail. He had no idea if she got the specifics from Saria at all or if she was that observant of his former clothes as a child. Link was utterly stunned at this amazing display of dedication and love for him; to recreate something that was such a part of his identity and present it to him. He laughed astonished as she held out with her free hand a green cap.

"My Goddesses, how did you…? When did you…?" Link could barely speak; his mind was completely blown at this compassionate gift.

She timidly bit her lower lip as she asked, "Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Link stammered, "I love it!" He took them from her hands, feeling the soft, cotton fabric between his fingers; it was slightly more airy than his original, he figured it would breathe a lot better in the heat.

"I've been working on it since before we left the Gerudo; I had Saria assist me in the design of it." Link looked at Malon in wonder as she confirmed his suspicions. "And I had Zelda get me the size measurements." She blushed.

It took a moment for the words to sink in, "Wait, what?" Link probed, "How did she get my measurements?"

Malon swiftly looked away to Epona as she haltingly spoke, "Well…you were living with her for quite some time; changing in front of her and all." The colors of her cheeks turned even further crimson. "I think she just guessed from all the times she saw you…erm…naked." For some reason, talking about this seemed horribly embarrassing and she had no idea why.

Link gave her a wry grin as he asked, "Do you mind if I try this on now?" Slightly thrilled at the prospect.

"Sure." Malon actually wanted to see how well her handiwork fitted him, "Wait, what are you doing?!" She gasped as he began taking his shirt off in front of her.

Tossing the blouse to ground he looked at her roguishly, "What? Zelda is allowed to get my measurements for the last seven cycles and you aren't?"

She giggled manically as she held a palm to her lips in shock, "Link! You are such a bad boy!"

Taking this as his cue for consent, he expeditiously pulled his tights off his waist; he brought them down to his ankles before kicking them off with a flick of his foot. Malon's eyes widened as she gawked upon his nude form; this was the first time in her life she had seen Link, much less a grown man, naked. Her gaze traveled inexorably toward his loins, where the object of her curiosity and speculations lay. She didn't know what to make of it; was this how she always pictured it?

Ignoring her obvious staring, he slipped the green tunic over his head as he brought it down past his thighs. He strapped the provided leather belt around his waist and slapped the cap over his head, adjusting it so that it fit comfortably. He turned to her as he spread his arms out wide with a beaming smile, "How do I look?"

"Beautiful." She murmured; entranced with his gorgeous body, the outfit fit him a little tighter than she remembered but it didn't matter.

Link looked around expectantly, "Did you have any boots to go with this?"

Malon shook her head, "I'm sorry, I only made the clothes."

Link shrugged as he looked down at himself, moving his belt slightly to be more centered. "That's fine. I guess I can substitute any old boots I have." He looked back up to her with gratitude. "Thank you so much for this Malon. You have no idea what this means to me."

He startled Malon as he hugged her tightly; pressing his body close to hers. After a pause, she relaxed into his embrace and wrapped her arms around him. "I've missed you." She whispered into his shoulder.

Link leaned his head back to look at her, "Missed me? I'm right here."

She smiled as she shook her head, "No, I mean…I've missed sleeping next to you these past few moons. You…comfort me, help me sleep."

He smirked, "Is Saria's snoring keeping you up?"

A small squeak emitted from beyond the stable entrance, Link jerked in that direction. He was only brought back into the conversation as Malon continued; oblivious to the unknown noise he had heard. "It's not that. She is actually a quiet sleeper. She does talk to herself at times though."

Link chuckled, "Yeah, it is because of Sora. She lives on inside of her, so sometimes it does make her seem a bit loopy."

Malon slapped a hand onto his chest, "I know that silly! It is just…sometimes it seems she is having two conversations at once, it's so odd."

Link raised a brow at this; that did seem a bit peculiar. "Well having a fairy merge with a Kokiri hasn't been seen in Hyrule since…ever. So I'm sure there are some side effects that are just now emerging." He said goofily.

She smacked his chest yet again, "Oh, you're terrible. You stop talking about her like that."

"I do because I love her. She is my best friend in the whole world." He said languorously.

"And I'm not?" Malon scoffed; pretending to be hurt at his words.

Link looked down into her blue eyes, radiant even in the light of the one lantern hanging precariously from the ceiling of the stable. "No…you are something more to me Malon."

She became acutely aware of his firm body pressed up against hers; the feeling of something bulging, poking at her lower abdomen. "Link?" She questioned; a look of yearning in her eyes.

Link gently pressed his lips against hers, holding her body tight against his. The instant their mouths met, she was lost; she knew she couldn't resist his advances. Within moments they were pressed up against the wall, hands frantically running up and down each other's bodies. Cycles of pent up sexual tension exploding in a flurry of mad movement; Epona whickered in surprise as they roughly brushed past her.

"Sorry girl!" Link excused himself as they found the empty stall across from Epona; it seemed to have a healthy heaping of hay that would do well as a cushion. Link released Malon as he went over to the clothes she had set aside and spread them out across the straw in an attempt at makeshift bedding.

Malon tittered, "You sure know how to woo a girl." She couldn't help but laugh at his spontaneous attempt to make her comfortable in a stable, of all places!

"Well," he started, looking genuinely hurt, "It's not like we'd have much success elsewhere!"

"True." She agreed.

As if deciding in unison, they both divulged themselves of their clothes; standing naked in front of each other for the first time in their lives. Link's attention diverted to the entrance as he thought he saw a flicker of movement. Malon turned to see what he was looking at.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

He shook his head, "Nothing. Just paranoid, I guess. We've never gotten this far before."

Grinning, she examined his handsome features; he was thin, yet muscular. His abs were toned and his legs, two pistons of strength. His manhood stood firmly erect; perfectly perched atop two cylindrical balls with a halo of blonde hair encircling it. Link, in turn, was appreciating her voluptuous form; her flaming, red hair showcasing the curves of her body and hips; her pert breasts luminous in the candle light. Pink areolas drawing attention to her stiff nipples; he wondered what it would be like to feel them. Looking further down to her divide, he saw an inviting slit crowned with curled ginger.

"So…what's stopping us from going further?" She enquired deviously.

Needing no more incentive, he swept her up into his arms and laid her down onto the splayed clothes; she giggled at his urgency. Her humor was replaced with longing as his lips trailed across her neck down to her breasts. She gasped in shock as he took one bud gently into his mouth and began sucking with tender fervor. Massaging the neglected breast with his other hand, he casually rubbed his member against her leg; teasing her with its presence.

Malon exhaled pleasurably, "Where did you learn to do this?"

With a final lick to the nipple sending shivers down her spine, he looked up at her. "I snuck around several times and watched some of the Gerudo do this."

She inhaled with shock, "You didn't!"

"I did." Link grinned evilly, "Like you said, I am a bad boy!"

Without waiting for her response, he dove lower to her loins and spread her legs apart. She whined briefly at this sudden change in interest but moaned in delight as he fingered the folds of her womanhood open, giving enough room for his tongue to press warmly onto her burgeoning blossom. Malon cried out as his rough, yet squishy tongue swirled around sending spasms of energy spiraling through her limbs.

"How close…ahh!" She stopped in midsentence as an especially egregious lick sent her quivering. Recovering from the onslaught, she continued, "Did you have to get to learn this?" She finished, forcing every fiber of her being to focus on the words she was saying.

Link just laughed under his breath as he continued his assault on her pink bloom; dipping his tongue downward before sticking it swiftly into the minuscule hole. She bucked wildly under his mouth but he kept up with her movements and continued to flick his tongue into the opening. Malon's hands unconsciously went to his head; pressing him harder into her crotch, not wanting him to stop.

"Did you have sex with any of them?" She knew this was the wrong thing to say the moment it left her lips. He stopped as he looked up at her.

"No, of course I didn't. Why would you ask that?" Link murmured; somewhat offended.

Malon whimpered in hunger, "I'm sorry…I didn't mean it. Please take me. Please!" She pleaded.

Not wanting to let the little slip ruin the moment, he leaned over her; resting a hand on either side of her body, taking her form in, memorizing it. He began moving his buttocks lower as he pressed in to enter her. She winced slightly as she prompted him to stop with a hand to the chest, gently pushing him away.

"Um…" She smiled with her eyes closed, trying to suppress a laugh, "You're a little low there."

"I'm…what?" Link looked down. He sniggered; his aim was a bit off. Maybe he should look where he was going.

"Not much of an expert on this part are you?" She simpered.

He shook his head meekly as he guided his member to her glistening folds; with a gentle nudge he began pressing his fleshy sword into her wet sheathe. Her eyes flared open at the sharp pain; her gaze locking onto his eyes firmly as she gripped his back tightly. She cried softly as he continued to gently make his way deeper into her body; gasping as she felt his sacs touch her skin. He was fully in!

The feeling of fullness was exhilarating; the pain slowly began to ebb away as he lay there filling her crevice with his pulsing manhood. Malon exclaimed incoherently as Link began to withdraw his member from her moist chamber; only to moan in ecstasy as he plowed it back into her. Link began delicately kissing her neck, slowly building a smooth rhythm with his thrusts; in time, Malon began to anticipate when he would push in and began raising her hips to meet his advance.

Slivers of pleasure danced across her rosebud and throughout her inner being as his plunges became more urgent; sweat was gleaming off their bodies at the shared exertion. She could feel him building to something explosive; if she wanted to exploit the idea she had in mind, she best do it now.

"Link?" Malon whispered; he mumbled something unintelligible, "Can we try something please?"

"Huh? What is it?" He looked at her confused, his pace slowing down slightly.

"Can you ride me like a horse?" She asked tentatively; fearing he'd reject the idea out of hand.

"I'm sorry, what?" Link asked flummoxed.

"Get off please." Groaning in agony as he slipped out of her damp furnace, he obliged her request. She gulped at the sudden chill that entered her womanhood at his absence; her only thought was to get him back inside. Malon got on her hands and knees and offered her rump up for his viewing pleasure. "Can you mount me?"

"Like a horse?" Link questioned completely taken aback at this bizarre request. "You are so weird." He laughed.

"Will you?" She looked back at him, wiggling enticingly.

Spurred on by the wicked nature of it, he squatted over her before maneuvering his stiff spear back into her cushioned corridor. They both groaned in unison at their rejoining; lacking firm balance, he held her hips to keep himself steady as he began thrusting back into her massaging folds.

With each withdraw, he felt her insides sucking him back in; he began panting with eagerness as his plunges grew swifter and rougher. Lost in the feeling of his lunges, she began smacking back onto his skin with each drive; maintaining the rhythm he had set. She bit into her arm to keep herself from screaming from the pleasure; Malon wanted to shout exuberantly from the rooftops at the feeling of Link violating her deepest secrets.

His grunts began to turn labored as his pounding turned deliciously violent; she could feel herself rising to a crescendo that permeating across her lower abdomen and that danced up and down his rock hard member. With a hoarse cry, he smashed himself deep into Malon spilling his seed into her womb. Feeling the intense heat rushing into her body, combined with the convulsive jerks of his manhood; Malon leaped over the edge and cried into her arm as her corridor constricted around him sadistically.

They collapsed onto the haphazardly strewn clothes; hot, sticky and sweaty. They both rested next to each other, panting as their minds reeled with the amazing thing they had shared together. Sighing as she felt a delightful soreness between her legs, Malon closed her eyes wanting to drift off to sleep. She jolted faintly as she suddenly felt a slight leaking from her loins; she looked down to see white fluid dribbling down into the hay. Was that what he put into her?

She leaned back, resting her head on his arm as he glanced over at Epona. She was giving him a knowing look, nickering in an odd tone while stomping her hoof. "Don't give me that look." Link began to reprimand the horse.

Snorting in derision and promptly turning away from the two of them, Epona clopped over to Harden's stall and flicked her tail at him. The mare curved to give Link a defiant look, daring him to do any better. To Link's surprise, he saw the frisky Harden walk around to Epona's backside and sniff her; with a grunting heave, he lifted himself onto her rump and began searching for her opening with his elongated phallus.

"Malon…look!" Link nudged her as he pointed in the direction of the two mating horses.

Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. "How did…? I've been trying to breed them for cycles!"

Link laughed, "Maybe all they needed was a demonstration on how it was done?"

She slapped his chest tersely, "Oh, you're horrible!"

He cackled, "It was your idea to have me ride you like a horse!" He finished with a poke to her nose.

"I didn't know it would lead to this!" She gestured to the two horses; already grunting in the throes of sexual pleasure. With a final whinnying cry, Harden gushed his load into Epona before slipping out satiated. As if finally done proving a point, Epona flicked her tail at the two of them before returning to her stall.

"I'll take that as a challenge Epona." Link grinned.

"Take what?" Malon said, lost as to what he was referring to.

She yelped as he swooped on top of her and plunged his stiff member deep into her. "Again? We just got done!" Malon giggled.

"We may not get another chance like this again. I'm taking advantage of it!" Link crooned as he rhythmically pulsed in and out of her; enjoying the new feeling of the slick wetness of his juices mixed with hers sliding across his throbbing sword.

Their quiet laughter could be faintly heard from outside the stables as the small Kokiri departed the building; pressing her back up against the wooden boards, she slid down until her butt hit the dirt. Raising her knees to her chest, she gripped them with her arms as she began crying. So this is what she was missing out on; what she'd never be able to experience. It looked so…natural and loving; a special expression of love she could never have. Despite her peeping on the two of them without asking; she silently thanked Link for giving her this vision of physical happiness.

"Why are you crying?" The little voice asked. "Shouldn't you be happy for them? I am. It's not every day you get to see your Kokiri soul mate making love."

Saria had to stifle a snicker at the obvious statement, "Yeah, I know." She said, wiping away the tears. "You probably never see it at all." She said bitterly. "Is there any way I can experience something like that? Impa said there might be a way."

The little voice paused for quite a while; listening to the grunts of the two lovers in the stall, Saria wondered what it was like to be in Malon's place. At length, the voice answered, "If that is what you wish, I did read something about how it can be done while I was in the realm of the Twili. It is actually quite easy to do, but there is a prerequisite before it can happen."

Ignoring the orgasmic cries of the duo, Saria took the small fairy out of her tunic and held it in the palms of her hands. Her eyes gazing intently into the blue glow; Saria asked earnestly, "How can it be done? What needs to happen first?"

"I must be merged with him." The fairy stated flatly. Saria blinked but the little sprite pressed on, "However, for that to happen…"


	55. Chapter 54 - Under the Cover of Black

_This is it everyone! The final few chapters of Act 2! It will be a whirlwind ride to the very end! I hope you are all prepared!_

- **CHAPTER 54 – Under the Cover of Black**

The operation had proceeded flawlessly; Ganondorf swirled the ashes across the floor with his boot, grunting in satisfaction at his display of power. Apolloni and Zelda quickly got dressed into the black robes that the vile acolytes wore; even Link was impressed at how uncannily accurate Ganondorf was in eliminating the three tyros without harming what they sported. He held the heavy fabric in his hands and wondered how they survived in this heat with these overbearing shrouds.

"Why in the world do you insist on wearing that garish outfit?" Apolloni sneered, gesturing to the Kokiri outfit Malon had created for him.

He scowled at her before responding, "It represents a piece of my life that is dear to my heart. Something you'd never understand."

Zelda stepped up behind Link to frown at Apolloni, daring her to rebuke him. After a moment, the Gerudo backed down and indicated his cap, "Well that will be troublesome when you put on the cloak."

Link shook his head curtly, "No it won't." He unfurled a portion of the robe revealing a deep pocket, "I can simply place it in here. In fact…there are quite a few pockets."

Indeed, as they began searching through the robes, it became clear that the small pieces of bones, feathers, and other indescribable things were spell components. Hastily discarding the obscene objects, Link draped the heavy material over his head and let it drop to his ankles. They each placed on the wooden sandals that the mages wore; Link stood slightly unbalanced at the unnatural height the foot adornments afforded him.

"If you are quite finished with your fashion show, we need to move onto the next phase of the plan." Ganondorf rumbled; sweeping out of the bedroom door and into the hall. Zelda trailed after him wondering how the Gerudo king would know about such events since the only ones she heard of had been conducted within the castle walls of her kingdom.

Emerging into the light of the rising sun, Ganondorf shifted towards the long shadows cast by the nearby buildings. If this plan was to work, he had to remain hidden and unseen; the three imposters had to be visible at all times. Swiftly moving as a trio with Link in the lead, they kept their heads down and their hands stuffed inside their cloaks. As expected, the few townspeople they did meet rapidly switched sides of the street and gave them a wide berth; Zelda began to understand what it was like to be feared.

Link glanced over at the stables as they passed Francis' pub; he could just barely see Malon peeking out at them from inside, hopefully she had those horses saddled up by now. Flicking his eyes up towards the nearby rooftops, he saw Saria flittering from building to building; trying her best to remain unobtrusive and utilizing her inherent ability to appear trivial and unimportant. Who knew where Ganondorf was at this point, he had lost track of where that man went; he knew that once they entered the temple they were on their own. The clouds had started to come in; he could feel a storm brewing.

They could smell the rank stench of decay well before they could see it; rounding the bend of the alley, they came across the plaza with the wretched Temple of Ballos sitting at its center like a bulbous parasite. Ignoring the weak burbles of the pitiful fountain that probably was once the majestic centerpiece of the town, they made their way directly across towards the entrance. Link's nerves were on edge as he cast furtive glances all around; they were too exposed but knew that pretending to be one of them was their best defense.

The incessant moaning of the pathetic Nevachreans who framed the entrance sent chills down Zelda's spine; as they grew closer, their pleading and crying became more urgent as their hands reached out to grab their robes. Several managed to snag firm grips on them as they attempted to bypass their violating hands; with a few panicked jerks they entered the gloom of the temple. A heavy pall rested on their hearts as they stood in the dim light, letting their eyes adjust. Rippling waves of dread rolled over their inner souls as they stood there; just barely inside the structure and they could already feel the evil emanating from further within.

The corridor split into three distinctive passageways; none of which gave them any indication of the correct way to go. Simply choosing the middle path, Link surged ahead with Zelda and Apolloni in tow down the groaning passage; deftly avoiding any hands reaching out for some quantum of solace from their eternal misery.

Link could feel the grip of Zelda's hand on his arm constricting the closer they moved down the hallway; there was no adornment to the walls, merely ensconced torches and the protruding bodies as décor. They came to another cross section and stood undecided where to go; where were all the mages? Why have they not encountered anyone? At the insistence of Zelda who could feel an evil presence traveling in their direction from the left, they quickly headed right.

"How can you feel these things Zelda?" Link whispered to her.

"I don't know, ever since last night, I began sensing things that I could not before." She murmured.

"What did you and Impa do?" He asked inquisitively, rounding another bend of hallway making a beeline for the double doors looming on the right side.

She shook her head, unwilling to recount her horrible experience, "It doesn't matter right now. But whatever I am feeling, it's trying to find us. It is almost as if I'm familiar with its nature." She shut her eyes trying in vain to block out the images flashing through her mind.

"Will you two be quiet?!" Apolloni hissed. "If it is searching for us, we don't want to lead it straight to us by talking!"

Link opened the double doors and almost slipped on the floor; Apolloni quickly shot out her hand and caught him before he fell. The entire floor was covered in blood and various alters were set up throughout the expansive room; she could see discarded corpses and amputated limbs littering the floor. Zelda drew near what appeared to be a cadaver chained to the adjacent wall by heavy bolts; he was leaning forward while standing, allowing the chains to hold him steady.

Link spotted what she was approaching and spoke in alarm, "Zelda, I think you should back away from-"

She bounded back, stifling a scream, as the unconscious man woke up raving. Snarling and biting at thin air; his only thoughts were to rend her apart and eat her organs. Zelda backed up, horror in her eyes as she viewed the blood drenched man with animalistic hunger in his irises; she bumped against Link who wrapped his arms around her tightly to comfort her.

"Link, please, let's get out of here. This place is evil." She squeaked, teeth chattering uncontrollably.

He nodded his assent and swiftly guided them out into the hallway; Zelda frantically tugged on Link to continue heading down the passage away from the shouting lunatic. The feeling of demonic presence was drawing nearer, no doubt attracted to the sounds of the revived man. Quickly sprinting down random corridors, Link was getting anxious about several things; where were all the people who were supposed to live or work in this temple? Why did it seem much larger on the inside than what it appeared on the outside? Did they really have the most current intelligence about this place, or were they set up?

Trying to control the frantic beating of his heart, he barged into the nearest set of doors to his left; quietly shutting them he turned to see a rather curious object. The rest of the room was veiled in shadow but the central platform was lit by freshly minted torches; all visual cues commanding their attention towards the lone mask perched on an altar of bones. Link couldn't believe his eyes as his consideration rested on the mask he thought he'd never see again. He had no idea what it was called, but it helped him tremendously during his last battle with Majora in what was once the doomed world of Termina.

"Is this the focal point of what you are feeling Zelda?" Link asked mystified as he slowly stepped up to the dais.

Zelda moved up beside him and shook her head, "No. I actually can't feel anything from this mask. It is not the source of the evil."

Link knelt down to examine it and observed several spots on its lower cheeks that indicated the acolytes were shaving off splinters from it. Why would they do such a thing? He couldn't make much sense out of it; however something deep down in his soul, he knew this was the reason the Nevachreans were able to regenerate every time they died. With a nod of his head, he picked the mask up.

"What are you doing?" Apolloni susurrated.

He turned to her as if she was clueless, "If Zelda can feel that it is harmless, shouldn't it be okay to pick up?" Link looked down at his black robes. "I feel fine."

"I'm amazed you two have survived this long lacking such common sense!" Apolloni chided.

"I agree. It has been extraordinary how you've eluded us for so long." Muttered a voice from the shadows.

The three of them spun around to greet the unwanted visitor; Link's eyes widened as he saw that there were two of them. "You!" He exhaled fiercely.

"Yes, us." Talamir said calmly, brushing back his black hair from his eyes.

Casually running a hand through his blond hair, Timner stepped alongside his brother as they blocked the exit to the chamber. "I knew it would be a grand idea to stay behind and figure out what Francis was up to."

"What did you do to him?" Zelda asked fearfully.

"To him?" Timner asked with mock surprise. "Nothing, but we held his youngest daughter for ransom. Knowing that, he spilled the beans on your entire plan."

"No!" Apolloni spat malevolently.

"Deny it all you want, but the fact of the matter is that you were sold out. Francis loved his daughter far more than he trusted all of you." Talamir smirked.

Zelda dug her nails into Link's arm drawing blood; he winced at the sudden pain of her grip. He didn't have to wait long to see what she was freaked out about; a cloaked man ambled through the doorway from beyond the brothers. They obediently shifted to the side to let him pass; held in his arms was an unidentifiable mass.

Looking at them with beady, yellow eyes, the man spoke in what sounded like a laughing wheeze which made Zelda's skin crawl. "Unfortunately for Francis, he trusted the wrong people." The man cackled gleefully.

Link gasped as the robed figured thrust the package he was carrying towards them; it hit the ground before rolling, stopping just inches from his boots. Zelda wanted to heave as she saw the hollow casing of flesh that was once a little girl; her eye sockets were empty and the body was deflated as if her innards had been scooped out leaving nothing but the husk. Apolloni swore an oath as she glared at the vile man.

Link curled his lip in revulsion as the man licked his lips, "She was especially delicious this morning." He insouciantly went on as if this subject matter was something ordinary, "Usually I go straight for the heart which stops their squirming, but sometimes I just love their expressions when I pick them apart piece by piece."

Unable to go any further, Zelda retched the contents of her stomach as Apolloni quickly shifted away from the sloppy mess. After recovering from the upheaval, she turned to him with hatred in her eyes, "What…are you?"

Placing a hand to his chest, he introduced himself caustically, "I am Barrachas. You've no doubt heard of me." He signaled to the two brothers; they quickly spawned swords and were bearing them down on Link and Apolloni. Barrachas surged forward towards Zelda before grasping her chin roughly in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "You are such a pretty thing."

She trembled as he pulled back the hood from her cloak to reveal the golden, gleaming hair; his eyes bulged at the delectable morsel. A forked tongue slithered out of his mouth and weaved its way through the strands of her hair; Link rushed forward to attack the profane priest. Barrachas' crooked hand shot up in Link's face; contorted and decaying, it seemed like the skin was sagging off the bone structure underneath. Link screamed in agony as a crushing weight slammed into his heart, buckling his knees; Apolloni grunted as she fell to the floor, waves of dark energy pulsing through them both.

"Can I not trust you fools to keep these imbeciles at bay while I enjoy my dessert?" Barrachas emitted severely.

Not wanting to disobey his command, Talamir grabbed Link around the neck and yanked him back onto his rear holding a sword to his chin. "Look alive Link, you are going to want to see this!" The man sniggered with glee.

Timner held the writhing Apolloni in his arms; removing her hood, he dug his nose into her hair and sniffed. "You smell great; I cannot wait to have you all to myself." He chortled under his breath.

Talamir shot him a look, "We always share the women, brother!"

Timner shrugged in indifference, "We can always do family style; it matters not to me." The two of them shared a cruel grin at this.

"Will you two be silent?!" Barrachas fumed. "I wish to relish my scrumptious treat in peace." Zelda's eye expanded in horror as the priest removed his hood revealing his jaundiced head; whispery strands of hair splayed out in distorted forms. "Do not be afraid," He said, a small guttural sound reverberating in his belly. "It is just a simple kiss and it'll be all over."

Zelda wanted to scream, to run away, but she could not; he was holding her rooted to the spot, unable to flee from her inevitable demise. He clasped her cheeks and brought her lips to his; in an instant his tongue was slithering down her throat, eagerly seeking out her delicious heart. Her screams were muffled against his invasive appendage; the priest seemed in a state of euphoria at exploring her inner being. A small groan from inside his body indicated he was ready to do something horrible to her.

"Zelda!" Link managed to shout; Talamir cuffed him across the head and dug the blade deeper into his neck drawing a small bead of red.

At her name, Barrachas stopped his disgusting intrusion; he slowly withdrew his tongue and turned to Link. Zelda was released from her imprisonment; she crumpled to the floor, hacking up what felt like her lungs. The priest waved Talamir off with a hand as he gripped Link's neck and lifted him clear off the ground; the man's strength was unnatural, he couldn't even struggle against his overbearing power.

"What did you call her?" Barrachas growled.

Struggling to breathe, Link managed to choke out, "Z…Z…Zelda."

Promptly dropping him, Barrachas spun to Zelda and knelt down to her side; lifting her face to look at him again, an evil leer spread across his face. "Of course…why didn't I see you before? This simplifies things considerably; why bother with the war at all when only one soul will do!"

Timner cued in on the priest's statement, "What do you mean? Aren't you here to help us win it?"

A huge shudder rocked the temple's foundations as dust sifted down from above; the moaning of the undying raised to a fever pitch. The magic hold on them all had been lifted; Apolloni flipped up to her feet as she screamed at Link, "They are here! The witches are here! They are assisting Ganondorf now!"

Barrachas snarled, "Enough of this! I have what I seek! Talamir, Timner, it is now time to give your life in service to your god Ballos!"

The looks of confusion were apparent on their faces as the unholy priest's fingers twisted into abnormal configurations; within moments the two brothers rose up from ground, helpless to do anything. Their raw screams pierced the air as their chests split open revealing the cavity within; the rib bones wavering outward like disgusting worms seeking nourishment. With a flick of his hands, Barrachas smashed the two brothers together; their ribs intertwining, sealing their bodies as one.

Their shrieks turned into howls as fleshy snouts erupted from their mouths; pushing the skin away from their faces. Rows of pincer-like teeth clacked together as the cries turned inhumane. Bloody spikes exploded from their hands and feet; the combined horror hit the ground on all eight of its pointed legs. With one final bellow, a pronged tail burst forth from underneath them, spraying blood across the room; the tip of it slammed to the floor revealing its true nature to that of a dermis covered mace.

Link staggered back in shock at the abomination Barrachas had created in front of them; even Apolloni was taken aback at the otherworldly nature of it. The priest placed a firm hand on Zelda's head; she immediately fell unconscious. Link went to grab her but leaped back when the monster crashed its tail onto the floor just inches from his face. The force of the impact cracked the brick and left a sizeable indentation; Link noted that it would be unwise to make contact with it.

Heaving the prone Zelda over his shoulder, Barrachas waved a hand to Link, "I believe this is where we must part! It was nice knowing you!" With a laugh, he dashed out of chamber and down the hall.

"Zelda!" Link yelled.

"Focus on saving ourselves first!" Apolloni castigated.

Another quake rippled through the temple as the outer assault continued on the blasphemous Temple of Ballos. Link looked back up at the towering creature nearly filling the entire room; its two snouts dripping with caustic saliva. Its dual roar was deafening; with speed not befitting its size, it lunged towards Link with both jaws gaping.


	56. Chapter 55 - The Evil Revealed

_This chapter can be a bit gruesome for some readers. So you have been warned. I am setting up the ultimate enemies here to be far more dangerous than Naar could ever be. Players of Skyward Sword will enjoy this chapter...possibly._

- **CHAPTER 55 – The Evil Revealed**

Rolling to the side as the gnashing teeth clamped onto thin air, Link yelled out to Apolloni, "Quick, hand me one of your scimitars!"

She pugnaciously shook her head as she drew them out of their fastenings, perched cumbersomely beneath her robe. Link leaned to one side as the sharp spike of its leg landed past his shoulder, creating a sizeable hole in the brick flooring; the end of each appendage was funneled down to a sharp nail-like penetrator. Furious with the Gerudo's refusal at his request, he sprinted weaving through the wriggling legs as the creature circled around trying to locate its prey.

"You stupid woman!" Link roared; he slid underneath its bulking mass deftly avoiding its club of a tail swishing over him. His goal was to snag the mask and escape from the unholy temple; Apolloni's safety was moot at this point.

The Gerudo back flipped over a roving leg as it rammed into the ground, intending to impale her to the floor; she sliced upwards at the closest snout which had made a sweeping dive to snap her in half. Blood spurted from the wound as the sword sliced off its nostrils; the beast toppled back onto its eight legs thundering with the sudden pain. Another shudder shook the temple as Apolloni lost her footing; looking up she bounded sideways to avoid the stamping tail.

"Dear Goddesses!" She exclaimed as she beheld the beast recovering quickly from the injury; within seconds it was fully healed without a single scar to show for it. "What in Din's name is this creature?" She scanned the chamber for Link only to find he had vanished. Her eyes narrowed as the dropped mask was no longer in the room; the only remnant of his escape was the crumpled robe discarded on the floor.

Ducking under another bite that aimed to rip her head off, she dashed into the corridor and tore down the passage; gracefully avoiding the reaching hands of the undying creature, she retraced their steps back to the entrance. A booming crash erupted behind her as the conjoined creature demolished the bricks of the door frame before smashing into the wall opposite trying to skid to a halt. Contorting its two halves to rest several leg prongs on either wall, it began skittering down the hallway like a demonic spider after her.

Apolloni rushed ahead of the snapping maws and emerged free from the temple into a cacophony of sound. A pitched battle was raging through the town plaza; Ganondorf was holding his own against several robed mages who were sniping from the rooftops. Kotake and Koume were circling above raining destruction and hate; efficiently incinerating unfortunate souls or melting them into nothing more but small puddles. Impa was roving through the crowd of cloaked tyros slicing them in half and ripping out their organs; anything to delay their inevitable reconstruction.

She scoffed in disdain, they were betrayed; the apprentice wizards were merely hiding, waiting to attack only after they had entered the temple! A horrible grinding noise issued behind her; glancing briefly, she ran towards Ganondorf as she struggled to remove the awfully stifling cloak; finally free from the musty clothing and only adorned with her fresh-breathing Gerudo robe, she brandished her scimitars and began slicing heads off the nearest targets; townspeople or not did not matter to her, they were all Nevachrean and deserved to die.

The front façade of the temple exploded in a flurry of flying bricks and bodies; the debris flew through the air, slamming into nearby structures, crushing various people and smashing the pitiful fountain. Ganondorf's eyes grew as he regarded the raging beast; it swung its two snouts in various directions trying to pinpoint its lost prey. Upon seeing Apolloni fighting alongside him, it began scuttling over screeching in rage.

Ganondorf swiftly erected a shield warding off the nearest magick blast before vaporizing the despicable tyro on the spot; twirling around to fire a pulse of dark energy at the monster, he smirked as it ripped off two of its legs causing it to topple over in shrieking agony. Its multitude of limbs writhed in the air like some disgusting insect. His mirth at its misery was short lived when he noticed new spines growing out of its stumps; he grunted in pleasure, this was going to be a lot more fun than he thought.

Link was dipping and plaiting through the chaotic mess; nimbly avoiding several magick discharges that would have killed him. He looked up to the rooftops and saw Saria trembling with fear, unable to move from her position; it was clear no one had noticed her small form.

"Saria!" Link called out to her.

She looked down with fear in her eyes, "Link! Please save me!"

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, I can't. You have to help us. Do you see the front gates?" He pointed down the row of streets to the fortified wall, she numbly nodded her head. "You have to open them and let Xavier, Nabooru and Merin in! We need their help!"

Link proceeded to say more but had to dive behind some stacked crates as the wall next to him exploded in a flood of boards and bricks. Cursing at the contemptible mage, Link's inner furnace broiled with hate; without even thinking, he conjured up iron knuckles that encased his fist, each tip ending in a barbed spike. He tore down the street before slamming his fist into the man's chest with a loathsome cry; tearing through bone and sinew, he gripped the object he desired and ripped the heart beating from the man's chest.

Saria yelped in shock at Link's sudden brutality; her voice jolted him from his rage-filled haze. Link looked down at his blood drenched hand in stark clarity at what he had just accomplished. He dropped the heart to the ground as if it was something abhorrent; the man clutched his chest as he collapsed reaching out for his missing life force. Link stepped back a few paces as he considered the viciousness of his action; he was actually starting to enjoy it.

Kicking the heart clear away from the man's outstretched hands; he gazed up to Saria. "Now! Go open the gates now!" Without a further confirmation, she flew from the roof and sailed over to the outer wall. Satisfied that they would be getting additional assistance as well as provide a way to escape, he kicked the man hard in the chin knocking him unconscious. That would buy them some time before he recovered his heart.

Link noticed Ashley pacing up the street towards him; bow in hand with arrow knocked and a quiver with a dozen more. "Are you going to help?" The boy nodded silently. "Are those tipped with the poison?" Link pressed further; the boy continued to affirm his questions. "Very well, follow closely behind me and let's deal with these bastards." Link grinned as he apparated a short sword in his hand.

Adjusting the mask of Ballos on his hip loop, confirming it secured to his waist before moving; he dashed off down the lane as Ashley shadowed him closely. Link glanced up at the second floor window as a mage spilled out of the frame, falling to the ground screaming; his body enlarging with blistering blood boils. Link turned around to thank the young boy; Ashley merely bobbed his head.

A roar from the opposite side of the plaza directed their attention to Xavier bounding into the fray; flipping unsuspecting wizards and stabbing others with her deadly tail. Several bolts of magick redirected themselves to smack the Cyn'Taak directly in the face; it recoiled back from the pain but ultimately shook off the spells. Link opened his mouth in wonder, the Cyn'Taak were magic resistant! His eyes riveted on a few men racing towards the beast with spears ready to gut the creature through; the Cyn'Taak were definitely not impervious to weapons however!

"Merin!" Link yelled out as her and Nabooru materialized from beyond the row of buildings flanking the plaza. The Gerudo turned in his direction; quickly slicing off the head of the nearest mage. "Xavier will protect you from their magic; you protect her from their weapons!" Without asking for expounding information, she gave a curt nod before launching into the nearest opponent.

Nabooru ran up to Link's side as they faced the behemoth encompassing the focus of everyone's attention; it attacked anything in the vicinity, making no distinction between friend or foe. The twin snouts of teeth were currently in a heated battle over a hapless mage. Their combined might tore the man in two; each maw greedily swallowing down its half of the body with a sickening guttural gulp.

Seething with broiling wrath, Link gripped his dark sword with anger. Giving a single gesture to Nabooru they bounded towards the conjoined abomination. Ashley trailed behind them providing cover fire from several rooftop snipers; many crumpling where they stood as their bodies filled up with bloody carbuncles.

Ganondorf growled at the intrusion to his engagement but said nothing as Link surged in lopping off the nearest leg. "That is for punching Malon and getting us captured so many cycles ago!" Link brimmed with ire.

Accepting a lift from Nabooru, he leaped onto the creatures flopping bodies; or what was still recognizable as Talamir and Timner. Bending low as the nearest opening of gnashing teeth swept over his head trying to snag him at the neck; he carved the sword upwards in a curving motion, cleanly slicing off the head. "That's for letting Barrachas escape with Zelda!" Link cried with manic fury.

The repellant head arced through the air before hitting the ground, thrashing and shrieking. Not wasting time, Link hopped off the beast bringing his sword down on the remaining neck that had swooped low to bite at Nabooru; utilizing gravity as his ally, the sword cleaved through the entire fleshy mass, spraying noxious blood across the two of them.

Link landed on the ground roughly before standing up to his full height, spitting on the despicable head bellowing at his feet. "And that's for my own damn comfort!"

"Link, watch out!" Nabooru pointed.

He grabbed her and hurdled to the side; they landed crudely on the dirt as the sharp limb punctured the ground where he once stood. They looked on in disbelief as two snouts squirmed out of the neck remnants, biting and clawing at the air with their gnawing teeth. Link sighed; was there no end to this? It seemed impossible to do any lasting damage against this thing.

"Get out of here!" Ganondorf rumbled; jerking his head in the direction of the stables. Seeing the confused look on Link's face, he growled, "You have more important matters to deal with. Let me and the witches deal with this!"

Ganondorf kicked the dirt near them before facing the recovering monster. A scream alerted Link to the unfolding situation Ganondorf alluded to; he bounced to his feet as he saw Barrachas gallop out of the front gates with Zelda across his lap. He was riding Harden! Malon was fruitlessly running after him crying with indignant passion.

Nabooru and Link stopped short of the weeping Malon, "What happened?" Link asked concerned as he noticed a stream of blood falling from her hair, painting the side of her cheek and neck crimson.

"I don't know!" She sputtered. "The man ran into the stalls and knocked me out before I could do anything to react! Before I knew it, he was riding out of there with Harden!"

A single drop on the head made Link regard the sky, the storm was about to break which would make it harder to see Barrachas on the plains; if they were going to chase him, they needed to do so now. Placing two fingers to his lips, his whistled for Epona; within moments, she was at his side rocking her head in anticipation of the ride. Both Link and Nabooru hoisted themselves into the saddle as Link took the reins.

"I wish Harden would respond to my calls like that." Malon spoke forlornly.

"Maybe you should teach him a song he likes." Link murmured, indicating Epona.

"I did! He just doesn't respond to anything!" She cried.

"Stay here and be safe Malon." Link intoned; giving her a heartfelt look.

She nodded her head as she watched them race off towards the open plains. Ganondorf scrutinized the exchange before calling the witches to him. They floated down and landed primly beside him. "Yes, my king? What is it you ask of us?" The two crowed in unison.

"I think it is time you revealed your true natures. Your king has need of your services." With a wave of his hand, he warded off the hobnailed tail; blasting it clean off its body. The two crones looked at each other uncertainly but with a bow, they did as he requested. Clasping their hands together, a dull glow emerged from between the two sisters as incantations were uttered; the luminosity grew brighter as the two witches merged into a single being.

Ganondorf smirked as he confronted the horror with the joined witch elders behind him. "It's up to you now Link. I've got this one." Laughing at the fiend's impotent thunders of anger, he dashed in to strike the first blow.

The sky was pouring in torrential waves as they galloped across the open plains; Link's objective was in sight. He was heading northward, to the army or to the distant mountain range, he could not be sure. Saria noticed their exit from the capital and chose to follow them from above, her wings beating wildly against the swift wind currents of the storm; she could just barely make out their shapes in the rain.

Barrachas noticed their pursuit and hurled streaming bolts of lightning from his hands; Link swerved Epona to avoid the deadly beams of electricity as they crackled through the air. Not to be destroyed before reaching his goal, Link's inner hatred apparated a bow into his hand. Nabooru was surprised to see such skill; did something happen that made Link so adept at conjuring weapons?

With the grace of his many cycles of practicing, Link knocked an arrow to the bow and fired. Flying true, it hit the unholy priest in the shoulder; its force knocking him clear off Harden. The bundle of robes and limbs flung to the ground, rolling as it hit the turf. Without any clear direction, Harden slowed its gait before curving around to come back towards them.

"Shouldn't you help Link now?" Saria squealed.

"There is nothing I can do to help him right now!" The little sprite said; her blue glow peeking out from above the collar of her tunic.

"What is that man?" Saria asked hesitantly as she saw the dark figure slowly push himself off the ground and remove the arrow shaft.

"It is a demon from long ago. Link has no hope of defeating it." The fairy said dismally.

Zelda was just coming to as she noticed Link ride up beside her on Epona. Sitting up more firmly on Harden, she shook her head as if to dispel any remaining traces of magick left in her head. Fully awake, the three of them turned to the wretched priest; hunched over at an abnormal angle, he glared at them with his yellow eyes.

"You fools have royally pissed me off!" Barrachas' voice grew deeper, its tone reverberating as if several voices were speaking as one. Several spines pierced the man's back before spreading out to their full length. Utilizing the freshly opened wounds as leverage, the man reached back behind and gripped the sides of the lacerations before pulling the skin apart; ripping and tearing the husk of epidermis off its body revealing the grotesque brown mass beneath. Link sat on Epona horrified as the creature discarded the fleshy disguise like trash.

The horses nervously stamped their feet in the presence of this unnatural demon; it was spindly in appearance, its skin hanging off its bones like it had been starved for centuries. There were brown spikes dotting its spine and trailing down the outer edges of its arms and legs. The head was oblong in shape, its short muzzle ending in a circular orifice with a circular band of teeth; its sunken yellow eyes glowered at them with revenge.

"Oh dear Goddesses." Zelda breathed. "It's a Hunger."

"A what?" Link asked stupefied; he couldn't take his eyes off the thing.

"A demon from the old world. It eats anything to maintain strength and mass." She muttered dazedly.

"How do you know this?" Nabooru asked nervously; she had never faced a demon before and was quite unwilling to attempt it now.

"I don't know." Zelda hissed. "I just feel like I've seen something like this before. Whatever you do, don't get near it. Any part of its body can-"

Zelda screamed as the Hunger reached out its arm, elongating it to impossible lengths before plucking Zelda swiftly off Harden. With the other arm, it grappled the horse around the stomach; the horse's eyes bulging and its nose flaring in panic as the demon's nails dug into its flanks, the horse kicked and whinnied with fright. Nabooru yelled as the demon's stomach split down the middle, opening to reveal the grisly mouth within.

Within seconds, it stuffed Harden into its belly before the disgusting maw closed itself crushing the terrified horse. Bile rose in Link's throat as the outline of the horse was still frantically kicking from inside the Hunger. A sick, crunching sound was heard accompanied by one last final cry from Harden; the outline distending from the Hunger's abdomen contorted and turned in upon itself perversely as the demon gleefully digested the poor horse. Link blinked twice to confirm his eyes were not deceiving him; the demon's body was slightly larger than before, more muscle mass had emerged from its body. The skin was no longer drooping and seemed to fit more smoothly on the bone structure underneath.

"Harden!" Zelda screamed.

Strengthening its grip on the princess, the Hunger's forked tongue emerged from the round opening. "As much as I would love to eat you, you are far too precious a prize for that!" It turned its focus on Link, "As for you, I could make an exception."

Link barked in shock as the Hunger's free hand stretched wide; the limb expanding outward in a mouth with its throat tunneling back down the arm. He tried to steer Epona away from the nauseating, toothed cavity. He grunted in pain as the teeth sunk into his flesh; the Hunger brutally yanked him off of Epona; Nabooru quickly grabbed the reins and maneuvered the horse clear away from the demonic beast.

Link's green cap flew off as the demon rammed him to the ground; its teeth piercing deeper into his waist. He cried out in agony as the Hunger stalked closer to his prone form; its legion of voices gutturally giggling in manic pleasure. "You pitiful mortals. You honestly believe you can defeat the hordes of the Undying? You couldn't win then and you can't win now! If it weren't for your precious Goddess Hylia, your race wouldn't have prospered!"

Its deleterious saliva dripped down on Link's face, slightly burning him from its searing heat. "What are you talking about?" Link tried to press down on the limb encompassing his body; it only further tightened its grip making him yelp in throbbing pain.

The Hunger observed Nabooru hanging back on the horse; she was unsure of how best to tackle the demon. Its beady eyes flicked back to Link; pressing him deeper into the grass with its appendage. "That stupid fool of a general truly believed I was here to help his cause! All I needed was the souls of thousands…tens of thousands to revive my master! All had to be united by a single common element."

Zelda cried out as the Hunger bent low to grab the mask of Ballos from Link's waist; with a flick of its neck, it flung the wooden fascia a good distance away. "What better way to spit in the face of her champion than to use elements of his visage to corrupt the innocent?" It gurgled happily at this. He craned his neck to look at Zelda; her eyes wide staring at his grotesque form. "With the essence of Hylia in my clutches, there is no need for this stupid war!"

"Hylia?" Zelda murmured uncomprehendingly.

"No matter." The Hunger crooned; the voices emitting from its throat sending imaginary bugs skittering across Link's skin. Its pupils locked onto Link's own as its stomach split open in a disgusting display of slaughter; blood dripping from the gaping jaws as bits of remaining horse flesh fell to the ground.

"Link!" Saria screamed from above; blinking the rain from her eyes, she soared down at blinding speed hoping she could get there in time.

Its sniggering pulsated the ghastly innards of the demon; it taunted Link cruelly, "Eating you whole would be such a clean death for you. No…I think tearing you apart and having your friends watch you die before I devour them is far more appealing!"

The three women screamed as one; the mouth clutching Link collapsed on itself splitting Link cleanly in half. The Hunger raised its arm high in triumph as the chunk of Link's body slowly traveled down its arm to be consumed in its belly. His body split into two, he looked down in shock at his legs that lay several feet away from him. His only thought as he watched his life force gushing out from below his rib cage was that he was dying.


	57. Chapter 56 - A Piece of the Goddess

_I hope everyone has enjoyed the story so far to this point. Thus closes the curtain on Act 2 and we move onto the final, most epic third Act where it all finally ends! And to clear up any questions about Link's sword that he uses here in this chapter, it is enough to kill lesser beings of this type, but nowhere near the quality and power the Master Sword would bring, which can smite down ALL types of evil. Just thought I'd put that out there. As always, enjoy everyone and please keep them reviews and comments coming!_

- **CHAPTER 56 – A Piece of the Goddess**

"Hey! Listen! Stay with me Link!" The little voice drifted through the air.

His eyes fluttered open, rapidly blinking away the rain pounding onto his face; he turned his head to see a blue glowing light beating towards him. He wanted to reach his hand out for the radiant globe of luminescence, but he couldn't manage to lift his arm up from the soaked ground. All he could hear was the roaring of the Hunger as it swung its cavernous, clawed hand at Saria; she was whizzing to and fro, kicking it in the face before zipping off out of its reach. An inner courage sustained her fury as she assailed the ineffectual demon; its speed was no match for her lithe movements.

"Navi?" Link croaked disbelievingly. "Is that really you?" He coughed violently, blood spurting from his lips.

"There, there, it's going to be all right Link." The little fairy landed gently onto his chest; kneeling down onto her shins, she grasped his face in her hands and laid her head on his cheek. "I've missed you so much Link, I'm sorry I left so suddenly when I did." Tears began streaming down her tiny face.

"I never…hated you for it." Link rasped, in-between deep, gasping breaths.

Her salty tears still dripping onto his skin, she wailed, "All Kokiri live forever with their fairies; a product of the gift given to them by Hylia. I was uncertain about the Great Deku Tree's command to become your fairy Link, but over time I grew to appreciate you, respect you and love you. But I couldn't bear the thought of you dying and leaving me alone without a partner forever and ever!"

Link looked at her shining body out of the corner of his eyes; turning his head hurt too much. "I'm sorry…to disappoint Navi, but I think I am dying."

Navi rose up from his cheek and looked at him sternly, "Link! This is exactly what I've been waiting for!" Receiving the expected response of confusion on his face, she pressed onward, "I left you looking for a way to become one with you; every fairy can do this with their Kokiri. It is a natural part of what they are; a single blessing handed down by Hylia to protect the Kokiri should something bad happen to them. However, there was no documentation on how it could be done and if it was even possible with a Hylian!"

Link smiled at her single-minded determination to be with him forever, "Can…it be done?" He wheezed, more blood dribbling down his chin.

She nodded vigorously. "I traveled to the far corners of this land, to the very heart of another realm that I dare not speak of here. It was there in that perpetual twilight that I found the secrets of the blessing we were bestowed. You had to die Link, to be on the cusp of the afterlife before my soul could find its way inside the hole that opened up within yours. I'm scared Link, I don't know what will happen when we merge; I don't think this has happened ever!"

A tear came to his eye, "You did…all that for me?" She bowed her head in affirmation and brushed his cheek with an affectionate kiss. "I trust you Navi." Link rattled, blood slowly filling up his lungs; with one final gasp, he closed his eyes.

Taking a ragged breath, Navi stood up on his chest and found the right spot where his heart would be; she laid down on her stomach and pressed her face up into his tunic, hearing the last slow beats of his heart. Tears flowing unendingly, she whispered, "I will always love you Link."

Closing her eyes she gave herself over to the energy within her; she could feel it release into the ether and latch on to Link's departing soul. Her little frame gasped as it locked onto his spirit and brought them together inside of him; she no longer felt her body dissolving into his chest. Blinding light surrounded the two souls bounded together in final matrimony; Link gulped in his first breath of new life, a burning warmth broiling inside his heart. He could feel Navi's loving essence flow throughout his body, down his limbs and into his mind; she was with him forever until death claimed them both. Moving his toes, he could feel new vitality in his legs; miraculously reattached via Hylia's blessing.

Navi's last words echoed in his head; he shut his eyes tight trying to block out the flow of tears, "Thank you Navi, for everything."

**-Break-**

The Hunger contorted in rage at the holy light that seared through its skin; so painful was the luminous glow that it lost all focus on attacking Saria. Releasing Zelda from its grip, she rolled across the ground back up onto her feet; in a flash she was making a run for Nabooru and Epona. At length, the blooming light faded leaving a fully whole Link. The demon looked incredulously at the man he had just severed in half, what manner of power was this?

Stumbling slightly as Link brought himself to his feet, he looked at the demon with burning vengeance in his eyes. A cry of pain doubled him over onto his knees; the Hunger snickered in delight, this would be an easy kill, this time it would swallow him whole. The demon stopped short as Link's scream grew primal and a ripping of skin could be heard.

Two wings of purest white sprouted from beyond Link's shoulder blades; unfurling in majestic beauty behind him. They were no longer than the length of his arms at the wrist and they reached no further down than the top of his legs. He staggered to remain kneeling as the excruciating pain from the transformation slowly ebbed away. Hobbling back up to his feet, he turned his head to view the new additions.

"She did it…she actually did it!" Saria exclaimed; beautiful crystalline drops streamed unchecked down her face.

"Link? How…?" Zelda and Nabooru were rooted to the spot at the unexpected, extraordinary event.

"Impossible!" The Hunger seethed. "A piece of the Goddess lies within you! This is inconceivable!" Its voices rising to a fever pitch.

"Believe it Barrachas." Link spat, splaying his wings out wide in a threatening pose. "I will kill you and every last follower you have!" With the innate power surging through his heart, a sword of holy, blazing fire erupted into his hand; its flames licking the very air with anticipation of the kill.

"No…No!" The demon raged; it swung its arm in a right hook, elongating its length as the clawed hand opened up to reveal the tunneling canal within.

The intrinsic sense from Navi deep inside of him allowed Link to sidestep the clumsy attack easily; swiftly bringing the burning sword down on the limb, the demon howled with agony as noxious, black blood sprayed across the grass. The wriggling limb slowly shriveled away to nothing before disappearing into dust. A look of fear was in the creatures eyes as it gazed with trepidation at the blazing sword Link wielded.

Knowing full well that any further attempts to harm Link would result in failure, it turned its eyes instead towards the horse and its occupants. Scampering across the ground on three spindly legs, its head split open into a gaping maw intent to swallow Nabooru whole. It leaped across the horse, clutching Nabooru's face with its teeth; it fell to the other side dragging the screaming Gerudo to the ground with it. It began the swift process of stuffing the woman deep into its belly to be digested quickly.

"Die you evil spawn!" A man's voice yelled.

It tilted its head to look at the incoming rider galloping in on a spotted horse with one eye. It hurriedly tried to stop the incessant kicking of his meal; both legs still dangling out of its head and her shrieking resounding inside its belly. Turning to the new threat, it gobbled up the rest of Nabooru into its stomach, reshaping its head in the process. Link sprinted towards the abominable creature, trying to flap his wings, hoping they'd provide some additional haste; he knew they only had seconds to save the struggling form of Nabooru who was still kicking out from inside the demon.

Francis rode in on the spotted horse before leaping off with trident firmly in hand; with a war cry, he rammed the steel into the Hunger's face, slamming it to the ground with the impact. Link dashed up to the struggling form of Nabooru and with a steady hand began slicing the stomach of the demon open with the tip of his sword. The beast thrashed and raged at the holy fire scorching its insides; within moments, Link gripped the slimy hand of Nabooru and yanked her from the bloody cavity.

"Insignificant mortals!" The Hunger bellowed; struggling to wrench the trident from the stubborn Francis, who was all too eager to keep twisting the weapon into its visage. Zelda screamed from atop Epona as she witnessed the demon curl up onto itself and envelope Francis whole; encasing him in a mound of brown, spiny flesh. A muffled cry went up from within the beast as his outline contorted and crumpled into assimilated nothingness.

Without wasting a moment, Link stabbed through the writhing mass with his sword, immolating the beast's skin. Its guttural cries rending the air as Link pierced it again and again with the light of Hylia. He didn't stop until tears were flowing and the unholy aberration was nothing but a pile of dust at his feet. Francis was gone.

Zelda brought Epona around and gracefully glided off her flank; Saria touched down nearby before walking towards the group. Nabooru preferred to sit where she was and praise the Goddesses that she was still alive; she didn't care that she was an awful, sticky mess.

"He betrayed us…but he came back to save us." Link said uncomprehendingly.

"Maybe he felt regret for what he had done and chose to redeem himself." Zelda offered.

Link shrugged his shoulders, dissipating the sword with a flourish. "Perhaps. Is this what it has come down to? Is this what we are up against? Demons?" He turned to her for answers.

Zelda shook her head, "I don't know Link. I wish I knew more but I don't."

Link jolted, startled as he felt a tiny hand filter through his feathery wings. Shuddering from the foreign touch, Link shook his extensions. Zelda shielded herself from the droplets of water he flung off. "I like what Navi has done to you Link." Saria giggled as she attacked his feathers once more.

Twirling away from her violating touch, he tried to fly back but lost the flow of movement and tumbled to the ground in a heap. Recovering from his fall, he sat back up, grimacing from the impact of landing on one of his new additions. "Stop that Saria. They are really sensitive!"

She chuckled as she stepped up to him, "You're still not used to them; neither was I when I first got mine." She turned to look at her gossamer wings, flapping them in jest at his inability to utilize them. "That's okay," she smiled, "I can help you learn to use them."

Gratefully accepting her hand, he stood back up. Examining the sky, it appeared the storm had finally broken; patches of blue were peeking through the grey. "So what do we do now?" Link asked, walking over to pick up the tossed mask of Ballos.

Nabooru pointed over towards Glaun'rung, "We go back and assist the others."

**-Break-**

Ganondorf smashed the head of the final robed mage before vaporizing the rest of his body. The witches had separated once more and were lounging back on their brooms, perfectly at home in the air floating above the chaos. He grunted in apprehension as he spun to the front gates, only to relax as Link and the others trudged through the gates, clearly exhausted. The witches had to rebalance themselves as they beheld the new wings Link was sporting; even Ganondorf huffed in surprise at the unforeseen turn of events.

Malon ran up to Link, her eyes were searching their party fervently, "Where's Harden?" A tremble rose in her voice.

Zelda and Nabooru decided it best to ride Epona onward back to the stables as they left the two of them alone. Link grasped her shoulders with his hands; her eyes darted between his new appendages but did not question yet, her mind was on her horse. He sighed heavily, "I'm sorry Malon, Harden's dead." It would do no good to tell her how he died.

"Dead?" She repeated numbly. "Dead? Dead! Dead!" Her repetitions got more agitated with each passing; he wrapped his arms around her tightly as she beat into his chest, weeping bitterly. Without realizing that he was doing so, his wings enfolded them both; enclosing them in a circle of personal grief.

Aggressively bursting out of his arms and pushing his wings away, she ran away crying; Link stared at her retreating form, heading for the inn. _I'm sorry Link._ A voice chimed inside his head.

"Navi?!" He exhaled happily. "Is that you?"

_Yes. I am with you always now. I see what you see and I can alert you to things you can't._ She spoke softly.

A smile broke out on his face at this abnormally wonderful concept. "Just like old times?" He laughed joyfully.

_Not quite, but sure._ Navi spoke, most likely with a smile if she had been physically present.

Shaking his head with astonishment at this new development, he paced over to the gathering group. Ganondorf lounged off to the side with Apolloni; several gashes streaked across her abdomen and arms but she seemed more or less okay. Merin was leaning up against Xavier who had fallen fast asleep and was gurgling blissfully; Ashley was sitting cross-legged by her feet, leaning up against her legs with eyes drooping heavily. It seemed the battle had taken its toll on everyone.

Link glanced around the carnage that had transpired in the plaza, "Are they all dead?"

"Ho ho ho! They all are." Kotake cackled.

"He he he! Blasted by our magicks they were!" Koume chortled.

Link looked down at the ground despondently, "Francis betrayed us…but then gave his life up to help us kill Barrachas."

Ganondorf snorted with disdain, "Just as well. At least in death he proved himself useful."

Link shot him a look, "At least he died a hero."

Apolloni scoffed, "And what is a hero these days, hmm?"

"Knock it off." Merin exasperated; eager to shut her elder superior up. Pointing at his unfurled wings she inquired, "So what happened there?"

Embarrassed at being suddenly so different from the rest of them, he nervously gripped one arm as he recounted, "…And I think because of that, Navi is now inside me and I grew these."

"You are an interesting subject Link." Ganondorf smiled; a second later it was gone making Link wonder if it had graced his face at all. "Nevertheless, we must pick up the pieces here and figure out what our next step is. Just because we cut off the heart does not mean the rest of the body perishes, there are tens of thousands of troops between us and Hyrule now. We must start thinking about how to be rid of them and ultimately of General Naar."

"I support my lord's sentiment, we must prepare for another mission." Apolloni agreed arrogantly.

Lightly brushing his hair, Merin woke up the sleeping Ashley, "Come on sleepyhead, we better find us a bed to sleep in."

The boy pouted at being woken but obediently followed her orders, the two them trailed off towards the inn where everyone else seemed to have gathered. Without bothering to look at Ganondorf, Apolloni or the witches, Link patted the Cyn'Taak on the snout. It growled irritated but immediately dropped its demeanor as it saw Link; it eagerly began pawing his tunic trying in vain to give him a lopsided hug. He laughed at its clumsy nature trying to imitate what people so often did.

Satisfied with their reunion, it lumbered after him as he headed for the pub; Link glanced over to the stables as they strolled by to see Ingo wiping Epona down with a brush, tears in his eyes. So he was told the news, Link thought. Indicating Xavier to stay outside since it certainly wouldn't be able to fit her bulk through the doorframe, he pushed the shutters aside and entered the gloom. A crushing bear hug lifted him up off the floor as Talon exclaimed with jolly cheers; Link yelped in pain as the man unknowingly squished his wings.

"Ah! Sorry there Link! I didn't realize ya had grown some new ones!" He guffawed heartily after roughly setting him back down. Link tried to reach back and massage the bases where they protruded from his back but grew annoyed when he could not reach.

"Let me." Zelda soothed as she walked up behind him and gently rubbed the base of each wing with her dexterous hands; his shoulders went slack as he gave into the wondrous sensations he never knew existed.

"This feels wrong…" Link uttered not knowing why.

"It looks wrong." Nabooru laughed as she saw the euphoric look on Link's face.

Realizing the potential implications there, Zelda swiftly stopped the massage and blushed as she sat back down beside Nabooru, straightening down her breeches. "I'm sorry Link…I didn't mean to imply things like that."

Recuperating from the sudden kneading on his back, he beamed at her, "No, thank you. They feel much better now."

Impa came up beside him, "You really look worse for wear though." She smirked observing his stained tunic and boots.

"You should see the-" Link began.

Impa swiftly put a hand to his lips, "You've said that one before Link. Come up with new lines if you are trying to be funny."

Link looked dumbfounded at her rebuttal; her stern face couldn't hide the sneaking grin as she burst out laughing at his reaction. As if infected with her contagion, Link busted up laughing with her. Merin came back downstairs having bathed and put Ashley to bed and looked with eyebrows raised at the two manically laughing whackos, "Sheikahs have humor?" She asked flatly.

Zelda giggled, "Yes, especially Impa. I should know; she had been my caretaker since I was born." She gave a bemused look to the Sheikah.

Impa ruffled his hair before sweeping past to sit down beside Zelda. A shrieking cry diverted all attention to the stairs as Giana bounded past Merin and ran into Link's arms. He picked her up and twirled her around, her hysterical giggling infecting the rest of the crew who couldn't help but smile at the adorable tyke.

"Are you a real fairy now?" Giana asked, looking at his white feathers with wide eyes; her grubby hands pawing through them.

Wincing slightly at the weird feeling of having someone touch him there, he allowed the curious girl to continue petting the wings, "No Giana. But a fairy is inside me now."

Her eyes bulged as she tried to peek down his tunic. "Where?!" She cried, wanting to know.

"Not there silly!" He howled jovially; he held her firmly with one hand and placed his other over his heart. "She is inside here."

"Oh…" She mouthed; clearly not fully understanding. "Will you play with me now?" Her obliviousness to the situation at hand knew no bounds.

Smiling, he shook his head, "Not right now, my princess." She flushed red at this. "Where is Malon?"

Her countenance fell at his question, "She's upstairs." She pointed sadly.

Giving a knowing look to the rest, he set the excitable girl down as she leaped into Impa's arms. Putting a hand on Merin's shoulder as he walked by her, he went up the stairs and down the hall. Stopping just short of her room, he took a deep breath before entering. She was lying on the bed facing the window, her back turned to him; he could still hear her soft sobbing.

"Malon?" He whispered; her crying stopped, but she still lay where she was. He drew closer to the bedside before asking again. "Malon? It's me, do you want to talk?"

"I didn't get to say goodbye." She chafed into the blankets.

Placing a consoling hand on her waist, he sat down beside her; the bed creaking in protest at their combined weight. "He was a valiant horse and defended Zelda to the end." Link had no idea why he lied, but he knew telling her the awful truth of his demise was not wise.

She sniffed before turning her head to look at him, "He truly did that?" She asked wistfully.

Link merely nodded. With sorrow written across her face, she reached out for him to lie down beside her; shifting his weight to be behind her, he gracelessly maneuvered his wings so he wouldn't crush them beneath his body. Such bothersome things, they were!

"You really are a fairy boy now aren't you?" She giggled, a bit of mirth seeping back into her voice.

He laughed, "Yeah…I guess I am."

"Will you stay with me tonight?" She asked.

"What about the others?" Link queried softly, wrapping his arm around her waist to hold her tight.

"I don't care. I just want your company tonight." She breathed shakily.

No one dared bother the two of them as they slept together that evening, sharing in the grief of their lost friend.

_The Blessed Vishnu said: _

_Now I am become death, destroyer of worlds. _

_I have come to engage all people. _

_With the exception of you, _

_All those standing here shall perish._

_- Bhagavad Gita Scripture_


	58. Chapter 57 - Fate of Their Friends

_Warning: Slight Lemon qualities in this chapter! I know it has been almost a week since the last update, but real life is about to get a whole lot more hectic for me; so please bear with me as my upload rate slows down considerably. Anyway, this chapter marks the first foray into the final Act of my story! We're on the home stretch! This one took quite awhile to complete; I was trying to figure out the best way I should progress forward with Ruto's character arc, while setting up future events. As for the second half of the chapter, I was overjoyed in fleshing out a familiar character and I hope people like what I've done with him. You'll see more of this guy in the future of Act 3, of that you can be certain!_

- **CHAPTER 57 – Fate of Their Friends**

Veraca woke up. The Zora blinked his lids briefly before recognizing where he was. Turning his head to gaze upon his queen, he wondered how they got to this point. Ruto was sleeping peaceably next to him; the chains they had secured around her wrists were gone but the scars still remained. He grimaced at the things they had to do to get her to rights; for a brief moment in time, they had all but given up on having their queen ever come back to reality.

It had been over two orbits since they had captured Ruto from the Negev Marshlands; it had only taken just over an orbit to make any significant progress on repairing her fragile psyche. She was irrational and volatile towards them all, her mind only focused on either killing, sexually raping the males or her ultimate fantasy, Link. She had gone through so much virulent conditioning living with Naar that it was a miracle at all that she progressed this far.

It was only last week that mentioning Link's name in her presence did not prompt a reaction of rapture and complete cessation of the current exchange. Ruto was no longer obsessed with hurting others and fixating over Link; a prize she could never have. Unfortunately, she was still highly sexual in nature and it took everything in Veraca's power to enforce the rules of conduct around their queen. The older soldiers did their duties religiously, but the younger generation still in their pubescent years was in awe at the carnal attention their queen afforded them.

To avoid a royal catastrophe among the bloodlines, there seemed to only be one thing left to do; to keep the royal bloodline secure. Veraca and his group of commanders assembled one evening to hold a conference on what to do with Ruto's increasing lust for males; it was the final linchpin in their plan to make her healthy, it also was the final obstacle they couldn't quite overcome. Whatever Naar had done to indoctrinate Ruto in this regard, he had done the job unbelievably well; none of the Zoras could wrap their minds around such a perverse addiction.

At length, they ultimately decided that to stymie the tide of rising issues revolving around her unique mania, they should appoint one person as her personal escort to satisfy it consistently. Much to the chagrin of Veraca, they all chose him to be her personal assistant in this regard. He was the general of their legions and well respected within the community; if there was ever to be a mate to Ruto to ultimately become their future king, they admitted he was the best choice possible.

Veraca was deathly nervous of their first encounter together and dreaded even being in the same room with Ruto that night. As she made her typical pass at him sexually, he accepted his responsibility to his people and did not resist. At first she reacted violently, thinking it was some sort of trick or another way to mock her; she was incredulous at his seeming compliance with her lascivious demands. In time, she accepted his acquiescence to the intimate act and laid him out that very night.

Knowing only men as her partners, she was like an innocent babe in the ways of how Zoras mate; they fumbled profusely in the first few evenings together. Although Zoras do indeed have phalluses that extend from their inner loins when aroused; it is not utilized in the same way Ruto was used to. The male merely places the phallus inside the female, injects his seed to fertilize her eggs and then removes himself. There is no prolonged method by which Zoras experience pleasure during mating; it is purely reproductive in nature and is treated more like an obligation to provide future Zoras to the community than anything remotely recreational.

Ruto was quite disappointed at the overall experience; Veraca was appalled at what she had expected him to do with his aroused member. Knowing that he was chosen to placate Ruto in this matter and so as to not have problems in public, he deigned to satisfy her demands. The weird sensation of thrusting in and out of Ruto was quite alien to him; long after he spent his initial seed flow, he kept going for her sake. After a time she finally exploded in ecstasy; their bodies warm from the exertion. It was far more work than it was worth as far as Veraca was concerned; but at the very least it subdued Ruto considerably in the weeks that followed, for that Veraca was praised for having finally solved the final obstacle to bringing their queen to rights.

Gazing down her voluptuous body which was quite unlike any other Zora in recent memory; he began reminiscing their last few evenings together. It had been a nightly thing with her since they started; she was insatiable and he felt he was getting in far better shape simply doing this than his daily training regime. Veraca was finally starting to see the appeal of the way the land-walkers did things in bed and actually began enjoying the prolonged bouts of mating their shared.

Ruto's eyes flickered open; she smiled as she beheld his face next to her. "Good morning, my love."

Veraca beamed at the term of endearment she had recently coined with him almost a fortnight ago. "Did you sleep well last night?" He asked this question consistently every morning; forming a pattern with her seemed to be helpful and kept her on a routine that she could focus on, even if the answer to the question was more or less the same.

"I always do when I'm next to you." She soothed; her voice soft and gentle. She reached a webbed hand over and massaged his cheek; Veraca closed his eyes as he lightly pressed into her palm.

"Are you ready to greet your subjects, my queen?" He offered smoothly.

Her body went rigid at the prospect; having mellowed since their first mating, she was beginning to think clearly and actually ruminate on what the future laid before her. She was personally terrified of becoming the queen to her people; to be that figurehead that everyone looked up to and obeyed. All she wanted was to escape from this dreadful requirement of her station; in the deepest thoughts of the night, she would sometimes imagine herself still in the arms of Naar. Those nights were few and far in-between these days, but she'd always wake up screaming from them.

"No." She whimpered; closing her eyes as if to block out Veraca's presence, childishly hoping that by not seeing him he wouldn't exist.

He dared not push her further, knowing full well that would shut her down quickly; he truly wondered what Naar subjugated her to night after night. Shaking off the last clutches of sleep, he rose up from the spongy bed and traveled over to the nearby coral dresser. Hefting his regal armor, he looked at it with unease; ever since his appointed pairing to their queen, it was dictated that armor be made more befitting his status. He certainly didn't feel like the king his people deserved; he was only chosen as king to bring complicity to Ruto, the last in the royal bloodline, and to help carry that genetic thread to the next generation. Being chosen as her mating partner seemed hardly a reason to name him king.

Sighing, he fitted himself with the shelled carapace; taking extra care to fasten the buckles to hold it onto his moist skin. He noticed Ruto had stepped up beside him and was watching him intently. "Did you feel like accompanying me on my rounds?"

She nodded dimly, "I don't want to be alone."

Taking it as consent, Veraca assisted her in dressing for the day. She was still unused to clothing since being primarily naked in Naar's presence. Despite the fact Zoran clothing was minimal in general; that it existed at all was quite foreign to her. Placing the last clasp on her belt which held together her sparkling emerald dress, he stood back and admired his handiwork.

"You are truly beautiful." Veraca admitted truthfully.

Her cheeks flushed a dull color of green at his compliment; she also never got those when living amongst men for seven cycles. "Thank you." She stammered; knowing little else to say to his commendation.

The full extent of the day was occupied with overseeing the troops on their daily routines of training; each day Ruto was impressed with how well disciplined her people had become. Long were the days they lounged around in relative peace inside Zora Hall in the hills far northeast of where they resided now. If there was not a war currently presiding in Hyrule at this very moment; she would be quite surprised to see how militant her people had developed.

Upon seeing their reigning queen taking the time to visit them, every Zora would stop their current objective or task and bow low; many sayings cordial greetings and endless praise. She accepted all with heartfelt appreciation, but inside she felt hollow and false to be accommodating such comments. Whenever she felt like she would swoon from the onslaught of being normal again, Veraca was beside her; he held her firmly and became that reassuring presence amidst the chaos.

Ruto gathered that the war was progressing further northward as the army moved its divisions westward through the Gerudo kingdom and eastward towards the Xaagar Mountains where the Gorons were still encamped. None of the Nevachreans knew or probably cared about the Zoras infesting the waterways of the Negev and further south and east; traveling as far as the great lakes just south of the Nevachrean capital, Glaun'rung.

The biggest news that day had come in the form of a scout who swam into the council meeting from a nearby tributary tunnel. The youthful Zora reported that a great victory had been claimed for Hyrule; the capital had been overthrown by a combination of Hylian, Gerudo and Nevachrean troops. The most startling news of this report was the name of Link being dropped; Veraca looked nervously at Ruto, but she made hardly any reaction to the update. Inside her heart, however, the fires of yearning were reignited.

The Zora commanders expeditiously decided they should send aid to the reconstruction efforts of the Nevachrean capital, in a show of good faith of their intentions. Sending several novices off to relay the orders; they adjourned for the day. The remainder of the evening went without incident and Ruto actually laughed at a few of the discussions being dialogued over dinner. Exhausted from the day, Veraca escorted her back to their room and shut the door quietly behind him.

"Can't we get another room? One without a door?" Ruto blurted abruptly, gesturing to the entry. She was used to tent flaps and prior to her capture, curtains of kelp as chamber coverings.

Veraca shook his head, "I am sorry my queen, but you know this is for your safety right now." Indeed, they still had to be careful of Ruto attempting to escape and potentially make her way back to Naar. At Veraca's request, the sentries locked them in their room together each night and unlocked it early in the morning prior to their awakening.

"Will you please call me Ruto now? We're lovers, for Din's sake!" She exclaimed throwing her arms up.

Veraca cocked his head to one side before questioning, "Technically, you are queen and I am your king by appointment. You are of royal bloodline and I am not."

Stifling a groan, she turned to the bed in crossness, "That may be true, but both you and I know that your children will be of royal blood. I can already tell my eggs are fertilized." Veraca suppressed his surprise at her certainty but allowed her to continue; slowly slipping off the pieces of his armor as he listened. "Once I lay them and they hatch, they will be the product of us. So stop putting yourself down and accept the role of the king that you are!"

He smiled inwardly as he countered, "As soon as you fully accept your role as queen and take up the responsibility of your people. Last I checked, you preferred to hide out in our room than show your face."

Ruto fumed for the rest of their bedtime ritual that night; at length they slipped onto the clamshell bed together, fluffing up the sponges they laid on. Casually bringing up the diaphanous covers over them both, Veraca laid down next to her; his eyes tracing the shells traversing across the ceiling in some crazy, haphazard design.

"Link is still alive, isn't he?" Ruto whispered.

Veraca's body tensed; this was the first time she had brought the name up in many moons. He was unsure of where this was going to go. "Yes." He confirmed haltingly.

"I'm not allowed to see him, am I?" She continued morosely.

"I'm afraid not at the time." He murmured tersely.

"He is something I probably can't ever have, isn't he?" A tremor of anguish percolated into her voice.

"He is not Zora. It would never have worked Ruto." She visibly reacted to him calling her directly by name. "Even if you did marry him, the royal bloodline would have died out. Only one of your own kind can fertilize your eggs."

Salty tears came to her eyes, deep down in her heart, she knew he was right. "I hurt him so bad Veraca. I don't think he will ever forgive me." She moaned in misery.

Veraca meant to embrace her to comfort her emotions; she gently pushed him away. "Maybe in time, forgiveness will come." He mollified softly. "For now, for you to do honor to him, you must keep your promise to your people and be the queen that they need right now."

They were silent together for a time; Veraca was almost asleep when he felt Ruto shifting down by his loins. "Ruto? What are you doing?" He asked dubiously.

Embarrassed but unwilling to back down from her course of action, she gently brought out his phallus and was stroking it between her fingers. "Please, will you let me do something for you tonight? I do not ask anything in return." She pleaded.

His heart broke to see the queen of the Zoras beseeching for something so trivial. "Ruto…whatever Naar made you do in the past; you do not have to relive it here." Veraca spoke earnestly; trying his best to ignore the sensations she was causing him.

Ruto nodded, "I know that, but you deserve so much better than what I can offer. The least I can do is bring you pleasure tonight, it's all I know how to do well."

Without a further word, she plunged her mouth onto his member. He gasped in shock at her wicked action; if it weren't for the many moons of practice doing land-walker actions such as redundant thrusting, he wouldn't have appreciated this pleasing act as much. Well versed in how such sexual mating could be agreeable, he had hardly the strength to resist and laid back in repose and enjoyed his queen.

**-Break-**

A screaming war cry reverberated through the mountain pass as the hammer splattered the man's brains out. Another arcing swing brought the massive sledge into several more targets; flinging them off their feet and into the nearby jagged rocks, impaling several in the process. The Goron seemed to be enjoying himself; strapping the unwieldy hammer into the holder on his rock plated back, the imposing creature rolling itself into a ball and began plummeting down the decline; the business end of the sledge sticking awkwardly to the side of the rolling Goron. Laughing manically inside his ball, he aimed his trajectory down the hill so that he tripped up every single man on the way down with the hammer.

Unfurling from his compressed state, in one fluid motion the Goron gripped the gigantic sledge and swung it around hitting the remainder of the opponents; many skulls were caved in those few seconds. Eyes darting around quickly, the massive Goron spotted a fleeing grunt. With an earnest guffaw, he ran after the poor sap waving his monstrosity of a weapon above his head like a lunatic.

The daunting being made of rock and stone was almost upon the hapless soldier when his body shifted to the side, cut cleanly in half. The Goron looked dejected at the fact his prey had been killed before he could finish the job. He glared up to the nearby rock as a Sheikah finished plucking chunks of flesh from her gauntlets; casually sheathing her sword in the scabbard across her back.

"That was my kill woman!" The Goron frothed.

"Then maybe you should be faster next time in offing him." She crowed jokingly.

The Goron couldn't help but grin in mirth at her cheek, "You are great fighters; I give you that."

"As are you Darunia, and all your kin." She looked down at the split man; groaning, he was already trying to put himself together. "You know this is fruitless, they just keep coming back."

Darunia guffawed heartily; scratching the back of his crown of a head, wreathed in spiked rocks that were as deadly as they looked. "True Cayla, but it is ever so fun to kill them over and over again." He stomped up to the pitiful man who was dragging his upper body back to his legs and promptly began crushing his spine beneath his heavy foot. "They just don't learn, do they?" The Goron king laughed.

"Sometimes I wonder if you Gorons have an overall plan on how to win this war." Cayla intoned, gracefully leaping down from the rock to stand beside the huge king.

Hooting with cheerfulness, Darunia brought the hammer down onto the man's head watching gray matter splatter across the dirt. "Ha! That'll slow him down for at least a few hours." He looked back up the mountain and spotted several other Gorons rolling down the hills, barreling through unfortunate Nevachrean troops who happened to stumble into their way. "Well, we are kind of isolated here. It is hard to get any news from the outside world."

Strolling up the hill, seemingly oblivious to the pandemonium around them, Cayla insouciantly continued the conversation, "You honestly cling to that futile notion that he will come back for the Ruby? I should think that after seven cycles the boy is dead and we should start thinking about saving what is left of our people."

Batting away a rogue body flying at him, Darunia grunted in protest, "Do not underestimate that boy's courage. He floored us all when he came in one day to alleviate the Dodongo problem that had plagued us for so long. He is my sworn brother; I am bound by the vows we took that day to wait for his return. I believe in him."

Efficiently lopping the head off the nearest soldier who dared look at her in vehemence, Cayla reinserted her sword into its sheathe. "You place all your hopes on a boy you've only met once; do you even know his name at least?" She quizzically confronted him.

Tapping a finger to his chin, he had to admit that he quite forgot what the lad's name was. "You know? I'm not entirely sure." Darunia confessed.

"Hey, Darunia! Catch!" A fellow Goron joyfully blared; tossing a flailing body towards them.

In a flash, Darunia caught the chucked man, quickly snapping the man's spine against his knee before tossing him down the mountain to be impaled on the jagged rocks below. "And don't insult our ancestral obligations Cayla." He admonished the jaded Sheikah. "Just because you got separated from your princess doesn't mean you have to give up so easily on what you believe in! We were charged to uphold the protection of the Ruby until the messenger of the Royal Family came to claim it; was a shame he returned it to us though." He shook his head in disbelief.

Cayla huffed in derision; seven cycles with no word of Zelda was disheartening to both her and the rest of the Sheikah residing with the Gorons in the Xaagar Mountains. Impa was supposed to have sent notice to them about their whereabouts and an ultimate plan of attack, but they had heard nothing. Cayla had an elegant grace to her features and preferred to wear her hair in a long, tight braid that reached down to her knees; she adorned herself with the typical attire of her tribe, but over the years it had grown tattered in places due to the rugged life they had lived fending off the army all these cycles.

Both of their attention was diverted by a caller from on high; the look-out was pointing towards the east. Darunia squinted his eyes before Cayla called out what he couldn't decipher. "Dragons!" Cayla yelled above the din of battle around them.

Darunia chortled as they sprinted up the hill towards cover, "At least they'll permanently remove the existing threat right now!"

"If we don't get incinerated first!" Cayla laughed as she raced the Goron king up the mountain.

The serpentine creatures swooped down on the battlefield occurring on the slope; breathing liquid flames, they smote the helpless men against the mountainside. Many of the existing Gorons still vulnerable in the open chose to ball themselves up and ride off the side of the cliffs than face the burning wrath of their mortal enemies; they could survive the worst of falls, but would not walk away easily from dragon fire.

The two ran up into the caves at the peak of the incline, ducking swiftly behind the rock bend as raging flames surged into the cavernous abode. Darunia howled with merriment, "Now this is more like it!" Unlatching the hammer from his back, he waited for the inferno to die down before rounding the corner with weapon raised, cackling the entire way to the dragon's snout.

Cayla shook her head in humor at the Goron's joy in fighting; hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to her liege and bowed low. "My lord, it is not safe here. The dragons are at our doorstep again." She said reverently.

"Thank you for your concern." the man said softly, "Any word yet from the south?" He asked hopefully.

"No my king." Cayla spoke, her eyes still on the ground.

"Please, call me Harkinian. Formal titles mean little in this day and age." He sighed heavily, the years written across his face. "To think, the peace I helped created by unifying our country would be so tenuous. Very well, keep me informed Cayla." She bowed her head in obedience.


	59. Chapter 58 - Hard Work

_Warning: Slight lemon stuff towards the end._

- **CHAPTER 58 – Hard Work**

His enraged cry permeated through the air; sweat was glistening off his naked chest from the toil. Link flapped his wings vainly in an endeavor to maintain his position in the air; he had jumped off a broken wall of rubble to gain momentum for the attempt. He screamed his fury as he felt the strength of his appendages give. Tumbling to the ground in a mass of feathers and limbs, he smacked the ground with his fists in futile anger.

"Why can't I do it Saria?!" Link breathed heavily; kicking up dust that wafted up into his nose which forced him to sneeze. "Damn it!" He shouted.

Rising up to a sitting position violently, he thrust his wings back behind him with an infuriated holler. Why were his wings so utterly useless? Saria alighted next to him from her vantage point above; she walked over to him before kneeling to face him on his level. Impa gazed on the proceedings impassively, preferring to lean in the shadows against the scattered remnants of the structure that had once stood by the edge of the lake.

Fluttering her ethereal wings calmly behind her, she placed a hand on his quivering shoulder; he was clearly angry at being unable to fly. "I'm not entirely sure Link. I honestly don't think your wings are strong enough to support you." She said, affirming her own suspicions.

"What?!" Link spat at her; far angrier than he should have been with Saria. He instantly regretted his ire the moment she backed away from him. "Saria…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I'm just so angry! What is the use of having wings if they don't work?" He exasperatedly exhaled.

"I beg to differ." Impa proposed, stepping out from the shade. "You have been training very well these past few weeks; you and Zelda both. In fact, I believe you are performing better because of your wings."

"I don't understand." Link fumed leaning back, resting his hands against the ground.

"You're faster, for one thing." Impa praised. "Whenever you jump or roll out of the way of my thrusts, you tend to travel further, or leap higher." Link turned away, taking in the majestic sight of the lake beside them; he knew she was right but didn't want to admit it. "Your wings may not be able to carry you along the winds, but try to think of them as a further extension of what you can do now."

"I'm sorry Link. I really wanted to share the sky with you." Saria said dejectedly.

"Tell you what." Impa offered with a smile. "See that tall wall over there? Try leaping up and over that utilizing your new ability." She pointed over to a collapsed building wall several meters away that was at least the height of two grown men; far too high to jump over normally.

Rolling his eyes not fully trusting in Impa's confidence in his skills, he grumbled pulling himself up to standing height. Cracking his neck before stretching out his wings, he breathed hard getting himself psyched up for the challenge. He bolted in a dead sprint at the wall; within several feet of the brick, he bounded onto its unyielding surface. With a swift kick to push himself off of the wall and a flap of his wings, he vaulted himself over the great height.

A smile burst onto his face as he realized he had cleared the obstacle; it deflated the moment he saw the naked form of Zelda beyond the wall. She had just emerged from the lake from bathing after their training; she was just drying out her hair as her eyes widened at his sudden appearance. They both shouted in unison as he went flailing to the ground by her feet; a tangle of limbs and feathers.

"Damn it!" He roared; averting his eyes from the unclothed Zelda.

"Link!" Zelda yelped; hastily covering herself with her mound of clothes stacked nearby. "I thought you were training with Saria on flying?"

"I was." He said; remaining prone on the ground, facing away from her nude form as a sign of respect. "Impa asked me to see if I could use them," he jerked a thumb at his feathers, "to climb over that wall."

"Link? Is everything alright?" Saria inquired soaring over the debris; her eyes bulged at the unexpected scene. Her hand went straight to her mouth as she broke into a fit of giggling.

"Shut up Saria!" Zelda and Link said as one.

Pushing himself off the ground and walking around Zelda, he moved on towards the lake. "I think I'm done training for today. I'm going for a dip."

Impa poked her head around the wall and sidled up next to Zelda with a grin on her face. She took one look at the Sheikah before smacking her arm curtly, "You dared him to do that on purpose!"

The grin broke into a wide smile at Zelda's accusation. "What can I say? If you are to be properly trained by a Sheikah, it would do you well to be ready for any situation. Just because you are naked does not mean you should let down your defenses; I would have expected you to be on him in a heartbeat, dagger at his throat, regardless of your attire. You clearly have a lot to learn."

"Ugh!" Zelda thundered. "But did it have to be him? You could have easily done the same thing and I would have reacted accordingly!"

"Perhaps." She smirked, "But it wouldn't have been as effective." She chuckled as Zelda huffed, storming off to change into her fresh clothes in the corner.

Impa turned her head to Saria, "You should be thankful you don't sweat like the rest of us. I don't think you change at all." She mused.

"Nope!" Saria beamed cheerfully. "I'm actually happy about that." She moved her arms as she admired herself. "I like the tunic I have on now. The Gerudo made it for me many cycles ago; its holds a special place in my heart."

"Although sometimes you do need a bath." Impa scrunched her nose. "You should take one after Link gets out." After seeing Saria sticking her tongue out, she threatened merrily, "Either take one or I'll toss you in myself."

"Ha! I'd like to see you catch me!" Saria bluffed; lifting herself slightly off the ground.

Impa raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge little Kokiri?" The menace in her voice was apparent.

Saria gulped, "Maybe?" She said feebly. With a shriek of nervous laughter, she swooshed out of Impa's tackle and began whisking off across the ruined village with Impa in hot pursuit.

Link observed the two of them speeding through the rubble with a smile on his face; about time that Kokiri got a proper bath! Agitatedly, he maneuvered around in the water, trying to fold his wings behind him so he could dive deep below the surface and feel the cool rush flow over his head. For some irritating reason, his additional limbs were quite buoyant and it was annoying to try swimming at all with them attached to his shoulder blades. At least they seemed to not soak in moisture like he had expected them to; instead most liquids tended to run right off the feathers.

"Navi?" He spoke aloud to what appeared to be no one in particular. "Do you know why I have wings? Is this your doing?"

_I'm afraid not Link._ Navi's voiced chimed in his head. _I honestly had no idea how our merge would affect you; I wasn't even sure if I would survive!_ A little nervous giggle resounded in his head. _Just…consider it a gift from Hylia for giving you a second chance at life?_ She suggested.

Link sighed as he continued to tread water; it really was a beautiful day, there were only patches of clouds and the sun was beating down warmly. "Maybe I'm putting too much stock into them. I guess…" He struggled trying to find the right words; he had once hoped Navi could read his mind, but it was established early on she could not. He had to vocalize his thoughts to her. "I guess I feel that there has to be some greater purpose to them than there probably is."

_I think you are right Link._ Navi agreed. He could almost feel the shrug of her shoulders as she said it.

A tug on his leg startled him out of his conversation; a small splash nearby heralded the entrance of a Zora. Backing away slightly from the sudden visitor, he eyed it warily expecting it to strike at any moment. Although the Zora had a spear gripped in its hand, it raised a palm in greeting.

"Ahoy, do not be alarmed. You must be Link." The Zora's eyes darted briefly to the white wings Link was sporting; at a nod from him, the Zora continued, "I was told to come find you to act as an ambassador to your group for us."

"What for?" Link probed cautiously.

"Our king has tasked us to assist your reconstruction efforts to rebuild Glaun'rung as a sign of peace between our peoples." The Zora extended his hand in friendship; Link clasped it firmly, suddenly remembering how clammy their skin felt. "It is agreed then, please see to it that they are accommodating of our presence. We will await word of their decision tomorrow."

With a flash of a fin, the Zora was gone. Link blinked a few times, had he imagined that entire conversation? As if to test himself, he asked Navi, "Did I talk to a Zora just now?"

_Yep. You are not hallucinating Link._ Navi pealed softly in humor.

"Good. At least I have you to back me up in that regard." He laughed.

A howl of distress diverted his gaze over to the shore as he saw a wriggling Saria thrashing against Impa's powerful grip. His mouth dropped at the spectacle, the Sheikah had not only caught the wry little Kokiri, she had stripped her naked and was firmly carrying Saria under her arm towards the water. With a roar of triumph, she dove headfirst into the water with Saria locked in her arms; shrilling all the way into the cool, refreshing liquid.

Link lumbered over, trying his best to swim over to them; his wings continually unbalancing his strokes. Impa popped out of the water first, followed shortly after by a spluttering Saria. "I hate you Impa!" She yelled.

Impa cackled with diabolical glee, "Don't ever dare a Sheikah! You had no idea who you were messing with!" She rammed her hand into the lake, splashing the gasping Kokiri with a tidal wave of water. Impa looked down at her sopping armor but dismissed it, "My clothes may be soaked, but it was worth it!"

"You are nuts Impa." Zelda accused from the shoreline; she had fitted herself with a free flowing dress of blue, with a side stitch of runes trailing down of gold and white.

"Don't I know it!" Link chipped in smiling.

"Oh…don't you start ganging up on me." Impa warned, waggling a finger. "I will dunk you under, wings and all boy! You may be skilled, but I am still the master here!"

Saria and Link shared a devious look before they surged in to assault the bellowing Sheikah. "Attack!" They yelled in harmony.

"Zelda!" Impa screeched as their hands began forcing her beneath the surface. "Get in here and save your teacher!"

"Nuh-uh!" Zelda shook her head swiftly. "You brought this on yourself. You deal with it!"

Grabbing the Saria and Link by the neck, Impa did a backflip in the water, plunging their faces into the lake in a somersault of death. They all came up spitting out water and laughing; it had been a long time since they enjoyed rare moments of respite like this. It was peaceful.

**-Break-**

They got back into the city just as the sun was setting on the horizon; its brilliant rays of gold and red basking the buildings in their comforting glow. Link was astride Epona with Saria sitting in front of him; she sometimes felt the inner urge to simply sit in the saddle with him and enjoy the ride, she didn't always have to fly. Zelda and Impa were riding the two spotted horses Francis had once owned before his death; they had given them the names of Fado and Tellah. Fado was the rambunctious one with Tellah being quite a bit more subdued.

Link glanced up at the sky as he saw Kotake and Koume levitate higher into the air on their brooms before spiraling off with crowing laughter towards the distant snow-capped mountains to the north. He always wondered what those two were up to, he did not trust them. Ganondorf had been keeping to himself mostly, emerging from his secretive dealings to appear with Apolloni; who seemed to be willing to do whatever he desired. Link wrinkled his nose at the thought of that woman, her slow slippage of sanity began with the loss of Aveil and the only thing that kept her grounded was her king.

Dismounting from their horses, they guided them into the stables which had been recently refurbished over the course of the last orbit. Link, Talon and Ingo had worked hard each day to rebuild and touch up the majority of the structure; to ensure its lasting quality, Ingo even polished down the wood to a nice sheen. His pub and inn received similar treatment; it had been hard work, but the people of Glaun'rung were finally started to recover from the infectious poison that Barrachas had brought to their community.

Zelda leaped back slightly at the restless snort from Ganondorf's horse Appa. The discovery of that name had been quite the hilarious event; Malon and Link were coming in to brush down Epona, Fado and Tellah when they saw Ganondorf grooming his black stallion. He presently ignored them as they entered and preferred to mind his steed over their company, which mattered little to the two of them.

On a whim, Malon asked if the horse had a name; Ganondorf was a bit taken aback at her interest but smiled nevertheless about her curiosity in his horse. After revealing its name to be Appa, Link looked at her with air of smugness at having his original name suggestion vindicated. They could do nothing but laugh at the ludicrous nature of it all; Ganondorf merely growled and stalked out of the stables.

Giving Appa a wide berth, they tethered the horses to their individual stalls; Link looked forlornly at the stall besides Epona's that once belonged to Harden. Sighing, he turned around to the slumbering Cyn'Taak; Xavier had taken up residence with the horses, not that she minded it much. At first, the horses were alarmed and quite panicked in its presence; over the course of the weeks, they had grown accustomed to its company and even began to sleep near her as if drawing comfort from each other.

Not wanting to wake the sleeping Cyn'Taak, he motioned for to the others to follow him out back to the inn. Link was still amazed at how much the creature had progressed in the past orbit. It was now capable of speech at a level that was far beyond anything he remembered her ilk ever pronouncing; he figured being around men and women who spoke proper Hylian assisted in its amazing grasp of the language. It wouldn't be long now in its growing development that its tail would start producing potent venom; Link shuddered at the thought.

The four of them strolled into the pub, admiring the freshly greased shutter doors as they entered. Ingo had just begun to set down plates of steaming food at the table; looking up to see them return, he smiled. "Welcome back everyone! Merin actually helped me cook this delicious meal tonight. She is quite the chef!" Merin, who was sitting beside Ashley, blushed from his praise; Ashley merely rolled his eyes at him.

Talon was sitting beside his daughter Malon; she beamed at Link as he sat down at the table next to her. Talon grunted slightly at this but did not comment, instead directing his attention to the food at hand. "Did ya have good training today, Link?" He asked passively.

Adjusting his wings so he wouldn't keep banging the back of Malon's head with them, he nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm getting used to these things." He motioned towards his new limbs.

Malon leaned back to check out his modified tunic she was forced to make him. "I see that the zippered design works well with your wings." She commented.

"I agree." Merin pitched in cheerfully, "That idea of yours Ingo was brilliant. I honestly didn't know how we were going to get shirts on Link after that." She waved a hand in Link's general direction.

Link shifted uncomfortably, he felt horribly out of place with everyone talking about him and his wings like it was something unnatural that had to be accounted for. "Let's just eat." He spoke flatly.

"Excellent idea, m'boy!" Talon puffed. "I am famished!"

It was an excellent dinner that evening; Merin and Ingo had prepared a succulent steak sidelined with mashed taters and steamed broccoli. Saria poked slightly at the steak before politely refusing it, preferring to eat the broccoli instead; she couldn't bear to eat animal meat. Impa and Zelda sat together eating in silence as they enjoyed the company of the others in the room.

Figuring this was a good time to bring up the Zora exchange, Link brought it to the attention of the others of the potential help from them. Ingo thought it was a great idea and wouldn't mind the extra help in rebuilding the capital. Now that the ownership of the city had transferred hands back to its people, things could finally begin on the right foot this time. Link was in admiration of Ingo; ever since the death of his final brother and all of his kin, he took it upon himself to run the pub and inn in his stead, never once offering a complaint.

"Um…can I have some jam on this steak?" Malon asked abruptly.

Ingo's mustache quivered in confusion, "I'm sorry, what?"

She pointed to the steak, "Some jam. Strawberry, raspberry, doesn't matter. Do you have any?"

Ingo looked over at Talon at the idiocy his daughter was spouting; Talon merely shrugged before plopping a huge hunk of meat into his mouth. "It's steak, Malon. You don't put anything on it, you'll ruin the flavor." Ingo chided.

"Just do it Ingo." Talon implored in-between mouthfuls of meat chewing.

Ingo creased his nose in disgust but consented to honor her request. Ashley looked on in shock as Malon slathered the offered jam onto her steak. She sliced up a few chunks before gulping them down like she had been starving for cycles. Link went to say something about slowing down when she brought a hand to her mouth; she looked like she was going to puke. Quickly excusing herself, she rushed up the stairs; Link winced as they all could hear her empty the contents of her stomach in the room bucket.

The rest of them finished the scrumptious meal in silence before heading off to their respective rooms for their bedtime routines. Talon gave Link a hard look, "I think it's time you and I talked son." He said sternly.

Avoiding Ingo who was clearing the table, he brought Link to the side of the room by the roaring fireplace. "What is it Talon?" Link asked cheerfully, although he had an idea of what was coming.

"We need ta talk about the future of you and Malon." He rumbled gravely. "We all know ya like each other; that can be seen plain as day. Furthermore, it's not like I can stop ya two anyhow especially since ya two are of age…and," he coughed purposely trying to think of a way to avoid the subject, "since you've both done the deed several times now."

Link blushed as he looked away from Talon's penetrating eyes. Scratching the back of his head like a nervous tic, Link offered meekly, "We were going to tell you, but…"

Talon put up a hand to stop him, "Link, ya better be prepared fer the future with her. We all know ya are going on a journey with Zelda and all them, and that's fine. But I know she will want ta come with ya. My strong advice is ta ensure that she stays here and comes with us."

Link looked at him mystified, "What? Why?"

"She's got a lot more ta think about now, Link. Where ya are going is far more dangerous than where we are headed." Talon crossed his arms, trying to get it through the lad's thick skull.

"Don't tell me you think I can't protect her?" Link asked skeptically.

"It's not that." Talon placed a hand to his forehead, how could he say this? "She's caring fer two now, and ya are responsible!" He pointed a finger directly at Link's chest. Seeing the confused look on Link's face, he groaned. "Boy! Haven't ya learned anything all them orbits ya helped us out on the ranch? She's pregnant!"

A clatter of dishes erupted from behind the counter, as Ingo hastily wiped up the mess; trying to appear like a fly on the wall, completely eavesdropping on the conversation. Link's mouth opened in disbelief; he had some vague idea where babies came from but didn't quite put the connection together that making love with Malon would result in such a thing. Talon quickly helped Link sit down on the nearest chair as he stared off into the fire, lost in his whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. He was going to be a father!

Patting his shoulder gently, Talon smiled at the youth's reaction. "I understand this is tough ta take in Link. I won't deny ya access ta my daughter anymore, but ya gotta treat her right. Make sure she stays behind when ya leave. We'll take care of the child if it is born before ya return." The two of them sat there together for a time before Talon grunted, unsure of what else to say, "Well…good night Link. See ya tomorrow." Heaving his girth off the creaking bench, he rumbled up the stairs to go sleep next to Giana.

Passing by the glares of Ingo, Link walked numbly up the stairs as he headed for the room he shared with Malon. Their relationship was quite known amongst the group by this point; they had moved Saria out and placed a third bed for her to sleep beside Zelda and Impa, the Kokiri wasn't exactly happy at this prospect. When this roommate change transpired Link could hear Zelda crying in the next room the first few nights before finally tapering off; now he heard nothing beyond the wall adjoining their rooms after the three of them had gone to sleep.

Link saw Malon sitting at the edge of the bed their shared; clothed in nothing but a lightweight ivory negligée. She beamed at him as he entered and began taking his boots off in the corner, "Good evening Link."

"Hey Malon." He grinned, as he turned around to offer his back to her. She hopped off the blankets as she walked over to him to help unstrap his tunic. Ever since the sprouting of his wings, she had to reconstruct his Kokiri tunic so that it zipped up and around the base of each. Gingerly taking the cloth off his back, she stood back and admired his physique. Catching her shameless stare, he looked at her sheepishly. "What?"

Malon smirked, "Nothing. I'm just lucky I have the best guy in the world." She crooked her finger, beckoning to follow her to the bed; she swayed her hips enticingly as she paced towards the inviting covers.

_Nayru have mercy! Do I have to watch this again?_ Navi jeered.

"Well, if you don't like it Navi, you can just look away." He chuckled.

_You know I can't do that Link! I see what you see!_ She susurrated.

"Is that Navi talking to you?" Malon inquired; suddenly feeling diffident that someone inside Link's head would be watching them making love…who already had been!

Link nodded his head at her question before replying back to Navi, "Well then don't complain then. You are the one who merged with me; you're just going to have to put up with it. It's a natural part of life!" He laughed.

_Yeah I know. What was I thinking? I didn't really take into account all aspects of this merging; it seemed like a good idea at the time._ She huffed loudly in his mind; if he could see her, he visualized her arms crossed in a severe pout.

"Then it's settled." He undid his breeches and kicked them off, revealing his swollen member that was eager for release. After a quick thought, he added, "Just…be quiet during this?"

_Fine. I'm just glad I can't feel it, man that just gives me the willies._ She retorted.

"Is she quite done?" Malon crooned; already naked on the bed with her legs spread wide, her small tuft of ginger hair directing his attention to her lovely crevice.

"Yeah…" Link said dryly.

Link hiked himself up over her as he dipped himself quickly inside her folds; she moaned in pleasure as his full manhood reached her inner depths. It took some time and a lot of fumbling, but they had learned to make love with the addition of his new wings. She reached around his back and began rubbing the base of his appendages; it struck raw nerves in his spine which shot down his body making him groan in desire. She delighted in the fact that his wings were highly sensitive in certain areas to have this erotic effect on him.

Link was kneading into her womanhood, building a good rhythm when she suddenly pushed him away; forcing him to slip out of her with a slurp. "What's wrong?" He asked, both concerned and bothered at the same time.

"I'm…going to barf!" She managed to stammer before clapping a hand to her mouth and tearing towards the room bucket by the wall. Within seconds she retched into the pail what was left of her stomach; Link flinched at the sudden change in the sexual mood of the room.

_Lovely._ Navi mockingly rang.


	60. Chapter 59 - By Dawn's Early Light

_If anyone is confused by what exactly is happening here by the end of this chapter, not to worry. It will be expounded upon in later chapters and its far reaching complications will be explored a bit later in Act 3._

- **CHAPTER 59 – By Dawn's Early Light**

Link looked at the two masks in his hands; one was filled with malice and deceit, staring at him with its bloodshot eyes. The other was filled with nothing but sorrow, yet it seemed no spirit or energy resided within. He placed the mask of Ballos over his face once more; after a moment he brought it down with discontent.

Nothing happened when placing it on, he was almost positive it had something to do with not being completely whole. He sighed despairingly; how could they possibly put the mask back together again when so many pieces of it were missing, with no hope of finding them? His eyes falling back onto Majora, he shivered uncontrollably. The other he dare not put on, despite its incessant whispers of power and glory.

"And now you have two." A melodious voice crooned.

Link dropped the masks onto the bed sheets; bounding out of the bed, he swiftly apparated a broadsword aiming it at the smiling man's face. The curious visitor simply sat in the chair completely relaxed at Link's outward display of hostility. Beside him was a rather large sack, bulging abnormally in places with its unusual contents inside.

"You." Link fumbled, trying to recall memories of this man. "I've met you once before."

"I should think you did." The man confirmed gaily; his grin never leaving his face.

Lowering his sword, Link snorted in disdain, "Are you here to give me another mask that haunts me with its lies?"

"No. I am here to ensure you follow the right path." He said enigmatically.

Link turned to the mask of Ballos, "Does it have something to do with this mask we found here? Did you come to take it?"

"I think not." The man spoke firmly. "You seem quite adept at handling it all by yourself."

Vaporizing the sword to mist, he flopped back down onto the bed; tired of these mind games the man was playing. "Then why are you here? And don't give me any cryptic nonsense!" Link shot him a glare that would have withered any other man.

The grin never wavering, the man bowed his ginger head in supplication. "Very well, I will plant the seed of destiny into your mind." Link was taken aback as the smile left the man's face. "You must kill Zelda."

"What?" Link faltered. He blinked his eyes, wondering if he had only imagined the sudden shift in the man's demeanor. Nothing remained except the grinning expression on that smug face. "What did you say?" He asked again.

"It is the only way to restore balance to this world." Pressing onward, ignoring the rising confusion in Link's face, "There will come a time when Zelda will ask you to do the unthinkable. I am here to implore you to listen to her. It is the only way." He hummed; absently picking an errant string from his breeches and flicking it off.

"What is your game?" Link interrogated lethally. "Don't you dare come in here and tell me that I have to hurt my friends." Violence flashed in his eyes; daring the man to continue in this direction.

The man casually shrugged as he leaned back in the chair, undaunted by Link's bravado. "It needn't matter, what was required to be said is done. The rest shall lie on you." He pointed a slender finger in Link's direction. Shifted his pointing towards the mask of Majora, he chimed, "Might I suggest you keep that mask secret until you are further north with your companions."

Link's eyes squinted mistrustfully, "How do you know where we are going?" He didn't remember the man being a part of their previous discussions regarding their future plans.

"Would it matter if I answered that?" The man smiled infuriatingly. "Your vow of silence is about to end; you must place trust in the friends you have around you if you want them to survive."

Link shook his head violently, "You are speaking in riddles again, old man!"

A look of shock danced across the visitor's face, "Do I really look that old?" Tilting his head to the side unnervingly, he tapped a finger to his chin. "I guess you could call me old of a sort." Presently standing, he brushed his clothes down before facing Link with a smirk, "You should really learn to be more pleasant to those who are trying to help you."

Link barked a harsh laugh, "Says the person who gave me one of the most dangerous masks I've ever known!"

Link gripped Majora in his hands and made to hurl it across the room when the man raised an arm in protest, "I suggest you think real hard on tossing your responsibility aside." The grin had evaporated from the man's face; replaced with firm resolve. "Carry both with you. In time you will discover their proper owners."

Link was tired of these mysteries and talk of destiny; he made his own choices, not bound to some fate he couldn't escape. "Leave." He spoke dangerously. "I don't want to see you again."

The smile returned as the man straightened back up. "Trust me Link. You won't." Grunting as he heaved the heavy sack back onto his back, he turned to Link one last time. "Now it's time for you to leave."

"What? Leave?" Link asked befuddled.

The grinning never leaving his face, the man merely pointed to Link's wings. "Time for you to wake up."

Link jerked his head to inspect his wings; his eyes popped at the rivulets of crimson seeping through the feathers. Within seconds, gore began flowing out between the white plumes trailing down to the floor with gravity. Horrified at his bleeding limbs, he swiveled his head to discern that the man had disappeared. He slammed his hands to his face to cover the torrential deluge of blood spurting from his screaming eyes.

He floundered himself awake, only to realize he had fallen out of bed in a heap; Malon was still asleep above him, snoring softly. Groaning in aching pain from the fall, he meant to get up when he saw a pair of feet by his nose. He looked up into the searching face of Impa.

**-Break-**

She writhed under his terrifying glare; multitudes of black wings were descending from the sky. A grinning visage of evil unveiled itself on the moon as it began plummeting down to the earth. A sword of purest white slashed through the air; severing her torso from the legs and decimating those around her. Lying on the ground with her life force streaming out from her body, she turned her head to see the glazed eyes of her daughter, Giana; her petite body ripped to shreds.

Nabooru thrashed wildly off the bed shrieking hysterically; with a thud on the hard wooden boards, she twisted across the floor trying to erase the mental images still dancing behind her eyelids. Talon was on her in a heartbeat, struggling to keep her still and calm, "Darlin'!" He cried. "Wake up! It is only a dream!" He gripped her face as he forced her to look into his eyes.

"Daddy? Is mommy okay?" Giana asked fearfully; looking over the side of the bed, sleep still in her eyes from being awoken so suddenly.

"Shh, baby!" Talon quelled Giana before turning his focus back on his wife. "Nabooru, it was a dream, come back ta me!" His voice was firm and commanding.

Her eyes finally locked onto his with recognition; she began crying irrepressibly. "It was awful Talon." She gulped in handfuls of air, trying to calm herself down. "I had the most frightening vision; I fear something terrible is going to happen to Link and it will mean the death of us all!" She recalled the memory so long ago of Saria talking as if possessed; of detailing the prophetic mural on the wall they had found in the Gerudo Fortress. The dread in her pounding heart inherently knew that the prophecy was close at hand.

"Is it about the quest he is bein' sent on?" Talon prodded earnestly. "Is it a mistake that we are sendin' him?"

Nabooru shook her head ardently. "I…I don't know!"

She jerked slightly under his grip as a slight knock on the door sounded, "Is everything all right in there?" It was Impa.

"Please, let me go." Nabooru pleaded with Talon. "I must speak with her."

Unsure of her mental state, he reluctantly honored her request. He sat down on the bed next to Giana, assuring that mommy was simply going to take a short walk to clear her head; that she would be back in the bed with her soon. Pacified with his answer, she snuggled back up under the covers next to him; her eyes watching Nabooru intently as she left the room with Impa.

Without waiting for Impa to initiate the conversation, Nabooru dove right into the forefront of her thoughts, "I think I should go with Link on his journey north to acquire the ruby."

Impa was inwardly surprised at this statement but showed no outward sign of it, "That would put our group slightly larger than is warranted or advisable when traveling north into enemy territory." Their established traveling group to the Xaagar Mountains was large enough as it was if you didn't include the Cyn'Taak as part of it.

"I believe I had a vision Impa; one that recalls a prophecy I once heard recounted by Saria many cycles ago. I can't explain why, but I feel it in my heart that I need to be there for him on this task." Her voice was low, but the tone exposed her determination.

Impa cocked her head slightly as she considered the proposal, "That would change a few things to the overall plan." She turned her head to look back at her shared room with Zelda. "My place is by her side." Her eyes flicked over to the shut door of Ganondorf's dwelling. "I do not yet know Merin well enough to consider her reliable; we need tagging along with the Gerudo who is loyal to us."

"I know, and you trusted me with that." Nabooru acknowledged the original pitch of her traveling with Ganondorf back to Hyrule.

Impa turned back to her, "I am confident in your allegiances Nabooru." She gestured to her family just beyond the opened door. "You have a husband and a little daughter to take care of. You are different than any Gerudo I have ever known."

"Then you have to trust me on this; I can't shake this feeling that something is about to befall all our best laid plans." Nabooru spoke with conviction.

After regarding the unwavering Gerudo, Impa relented with a crooked smile, "Very well. Then I shall relay instructions to Zelda regarding my absence. You must go tell Ganondorf that we are swapping positions and that you are going with Link instead."

As the ruling authority amongst the group, it had been Ganondorf who submitted the new plan to everyone. Since Link was still unable to apparate holy swords on a whim as was expected, their original plan of retrieving the remaining sacred stones to unlock the Master Sword was still their primary objective. They were to take a small group of which Zelda, Impa and Malon were apart of to head north to find the Gorons and secure the ruby.

Ganondorf, Apolloni, Nabooru and Talon were to head northwest to secure a viable way to access the Temple of Time and lay the groundwork for the final stages of Link's mission to retrieve the Sapphire from Naar himself. Once acquired, they were to meet up at the temple and have Link claim the Master Sword. Ingo opted to stay behind to look after Saria, Giana and Ashley while they were away; promising them a safe haven.

"Thank you" Nabooru whispered gratefully to Impa before setting off down the hall towards Ganondorf's room.

The door swung wide suddenly as she stepped up to it; Apolloni leaned up against the frame looking at her nastily, "What did you want?" She sneered.

Nabooru ignored the woman's naked form, "Change of plans. Impa will be accompanying you; I will be assisting Link in his endeavor for the ruby. If you want the details-"

"That will not be necessary." Ganondorf rumbled from the bed, the bed sheets lying loosely over his muscular form. "Do as you wish Nabooru. I care not for your presence or your reasons for the amendment to the plan. As far as I'm concerned, you no longer have a home among the Gerudo."

His words hit her in the chest like a sledgehammer; he could not have wounded her any graver than if he had tried to hurt her family. Despite her personal grievances against the methods with which he ruled over the Gerudo, she still considered him their figurehead and part of her kinfolk. The absolute dismissal from her king struck such a blow to her mind that she was at a loss for words.

Ganondorf grunted, "You may leave now Nabooru." He commanded firmly.

With a leering smile, Apolloni closed the door in her face. Nabooru stood numbly in the hallway unaware of her surroundings; she jumped slightly as Impa laid a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Link, Zelda and Saria suited up for the journey; Link had several thin ropes tight across his chest, securing his wings close to his body with a green cloak clasped at his neck covering them.

"Where is Malon?" She inquired curiously.

"She is to stay here…on Talon's request." Link said hesitantly. "We didn't wake her."

"Why are we leaving so early?" Nabooru probed, as she looked through her door out the window; the night sky had just begun to brighten with the coming sun.

"For Malon's sake." Link said flatly.

Nabooru, getting the picture, nodded swiftly. "I will meet you out by the stables." She murmured; she paced into the room as the three of them swept past her. Talon and Giana had already fallen back asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief, it was better this way; she was not good at goodbyes. It wasn't until she began packing her bag that she realized that Saria had inserted herself into their group.

Rapidly bounding down the stairs and out of the pub, she rounded the bend hopping over the fence enclosing the flourishing garden. She noted the two burial mounds and sidestepped past them; preferring not to disturb the dead. Impa was leading Epona out by the reins with Link and Saria sitting astride her; Zelda trotted out with Fado who seemed eager to blaze across the plains, the saddle still able to accommodate another person.

"'ello!" Xavier growled cheerfully. Nabooru leaped back in surprise, completely abandoning her attempt to spring into the saddle with Zelda. She had completely forgotten the Cyn'Taak could talk now.

"Hi…" Nabooru stammered. "I had overlooked that you were coming with us Xavier." She felt quite awkward talking to a beast.

"Wher'ver mom n' dad go, I go." She barked proudly; absentmindedly scratching her belly with her claw.

"Your…oh." Nabooru looked up at Link and Zelda and made the connection; she recalled them relating their encounter with the Cyn'Taak and how they were the first people Xavier ever saw. "That's…nice." She muttered, unsure of how best to address the creature. Keeping a wary eye on its wavering tail, she leaped up onto Fado and situated herself behind Zelda comfortably.

Content to stay behind now, Impa released the reins to Link before placing a gentle hand on Epona's neck. "Keep Zelda safe Link; I put my trust in you on this matter." He curtly nodded. "Keep your wings hidden and tied close to your body. We do not want the enemy to know who you are by sight alone."

Link shifted uncomfortably in his saddle at her words of caution. "It feels stifling Impa. Is this really necessary?" He asked hopefully; after so many moons training with Impa and utilizing his wings, it felt confining to suddenly hide them like he was a freak. He felt embarrassed at all the special accommodations they had to make for him because of his new limbs; he never asked for any of this.

"Until such time we are ready to reveal ourselves to Naar, we must remain concealed from his spies. We have to assume they are out there, roaming the countryside. Your wings would be a dead giveaway from afar." She explained calmly.

"I understand Impa." Link agreed sullenly.

"One last thing," Impa held up a finger as she riffled through her clothes. She pulled out a blue ocarina and placed it firmly into his hand. "I was intending to hold onto this since I was originally planning on traveling with you. Now that things have changed, it would be far more advantageous for you to keep ahold of it."

"Is this what I think it is?" Link said; the shadowy recesses of his memory began to clear as he recalled the objects function.

Impa smiled warmly, "I knew if your stories of the future ring true, you would remember this ocarina. If you have forgotten the melodies, Zelda knows them well and will teach you again." Link turned atop Epona to gaze at Zelda, who merely bowed her head in acceptance of Impa's statement.

Impa patted his thigh briefly before turning to Saria, "Be near Link and keep that emerald safe."

Saria beamed, "I will." She held a hand to the dimly glowing emerald chained around her neck. Impa had made the command decision to include Saria into their traveling group for several reasons; one was her natural, inherent ability to make herself trivial in the eyes of their enemies, which would mean their group wasn't exactly any larger with her added to it. Furthermore, keeping the emerald close to Link would make gathering all the necessary elements easier than scattering them.

Lastly, Impa stepped over to Fado and passed a knowing look to Zelda, "Who will assist me in reawakening if you aren't with us?" Zelda whispered.

Impa blinked quizzically at her question; quickly recovering, she reaffirmed Zelda, "Link seems to be the only viable option here. I have a bad feeling about this plan of Ganondorf's. I'm staying behind to keep an eye on the two of them." Zelda bobbed her head in comprehension; she knew whom Impa was referring to.

"Be safe Impa." Zelda mumbled sadly.

"May the Goddesses protect you child." Impa smiled as she reached up to caress her cheek.

Blinking back tears, she slapped the rump of Fado roughly; instigated the anxious horse into a trot. Saria waved back at her enthusiastically; Impa chuckled softly to herself as she returned the gesture. She stood there watching the four of them gallop off into the distance with Xavier lumbering behind for what seemed like hours. Exhaling softly at their absence, Impa strolled into the pub; ascending the stairs confidently as she made her way back to her room.

Silently opening the door, she slipped into the dark gloom as Ganondorf eyed her from the bed. With a flick of his hand, her image began to waver and distort; unashamedly naked, the spell dissipated off her body. Coyly making her way to his side, Apolloni leaped up on top of him and began grinding her hips against his.

"Did I do well, my lord?" She serenaded sensually.

"You were magnificent." He commended gruffly. "Did they fall for the ocarina?"

Apolloni licked her lips alluringly, "Yes. I made sure to give it to Link; Zelda would have recognized its falsehood."

"Wonderful." Ganondorf purred; placing his nose against her neck, breathing in her scent. "You have served your king well." She gasped eagerly at his firm grip on her rump; his fingers digging into the soft flesh. "Come serve your king some more and enjoy the rest of the morning with me."

"Anything." She hummed, lost in strength of his passion.

"Let us shape the battlefield to our advantage." Ganondorf growled as he took her.


	61. Chapter 60 - Abandoned

_I'm setting up the final groups that will split off and do their own story arc over the course of act 3 before I pull them all together at the end for the climatic finale. Sometimes splitting up the team is just as satisfying as watching them work together to kick some butt; it also adds an element of danger to the whole story since they are divided and many dark forces are assembling against them, not just from Naar. Hope you all enjoy the 'companion' chapter to the previous one which explains a bit better what just occurred._

- **CHAPTER 60 – Abandoned**

She stretched out yawning under the sheets; the morning rays filtering in through the window, waking Malon from her slumber. She flipped over trying to discern where Link was, she didn't see him anywhere in the room. She frowned slightly at what transpired the previous night; she didn't mean to disrupt the mood. Feeling terrible about denying him, she swung her legs around and gasped slightly at the cool temperature of the floor; the cool nights of fall were wafting in and embedding themselves into the wood.

Shivering slightly from the chill, dawn air, she skipped quickly across the room to put her clothes on. Throwing on the pretty blue dress Ingo gave her an orbit ago; she looked at herself in the mirror, detangling the kinks in her hair with the provided brush on the vanity. Finishing up buttoning the top portion of the flowing dress, she admired her reflection; beaming at her appearance, she vowed herself today to make it up to Link for the mishap the night prior.

As if on cue, the nausea started to build in the pit of her stomach; her countenance sagged knowing there would be no point in leaving the room until it played itself out. Plodding over slowly to the bucket she had used countless times in the past week, she flopped herself down on the nearby chair hovering over it. Malon had no idea where she caught this flu bug, but no one else seemed to be catching it; for that she was thankful at least, she would have felt terrible if Link had contracted what she had. She was disappointed that she couldn't join the others this past week during training; she was just starting to enjoy herself.

Feeling the rising bile inside, she gripped the bucket and emptied herself into it. Wiping her mouth shakily, she cursed her condition and wished it would go away. Regarding the contents of the pail with disgust, she figured she should finally dump it out this morning. Shuddering with aversion towards the abhorrent task, she hefted it by the handle and walked out of the room.

Cruising down the stairs, she noted that it was strangely quiet in the inn; by this time of morning there were at least a few of them already downstairs eating breakfast. Stepping outside, she relished the soft breeze blowing in across the plains; quite different than the sweltering morning gusts that would sometimes billow through the Gerudo valley. Walking around the building to the back, she dumped the contents of the bucket into the prescribed refuse pile. Scrunching her nose in revulsion, she wished the people of Nevachrea could find a better way of dealing with their waste.

Hiking the pail underneath her arm, Malon decided to pay a visit to Epona and perhaps brush her down. Entering the stables, she noticed that its tenants had diminished; she paced down the row of stalls and noticed only Appa and Tellah still in attendance. She stood there curious as to where they went; did they all head out to train this early? That was unusual. She yipped at the unexpected clatter of hoes and rakes; she twirled around to see Ashley motioning an apology as he stooped to pick up the mess.

"Oh, it's just you Ashley." She breathed with a sigh of relief, "How are you doing this morning?"

The boy merely smiled at her in response; Malon figured it was his form of a yes. She came over to assist him with the clean-up; he put out a hand warding her off as he pointed to himself.

"Did you not want my help?" She asked. Ashley shook his head and pointed to himself again. "I get it; it is your mess, so you're cleaning it up." The boy smiled as he nodded his head.

Malon surveyed the stables again and detected several fresh hoof prints leading out of the structure; it appeared that Epona and Fado were taken early this morning, maybe they were just training without her. She certainly missed sparring with Link and Zelda; but after having to stop several times to retch, they decided it was best she stay in Glaun'rung until she recovered.

"Do you know where they took the horses?" Malon inquired of Ashley, calmly setting down the bucket on a crate; realizing the moment it left her lips that his answer would most likely be insufficient.

As expected, he shrugged his shoulders; putting the final rake to rights, he smiled at her and turned to leave the stables. She tapped his shoulder to recall him back, "What were you doing just now before I came in?"

Grinning, Ashley walked over to Tellah and patted her on the neck; Malon quickly deciphering his meaning spoke for him, "You were brushing her down?" He nodded. She exhaled frustrated, "I really wish you could talk to me."

Ashley gave her a pensive look before leaving the building; figuring their conversation had come to an end, Malon followed him out. The sounds of the awakening city were beginning to filter in from the nearby streets; she noticed several men already out on ladders refurbishing their homes and painting the freshly nailed boards. It truly was amazing what the citizens of Nevachrea could accomplish if they had a solid vision laid before them without any outside influences; many wagons were being brought in, no longer for the war effort, but for the restoration of the capital. She chuckled softly to herself, to imagine what Naar would think if he could see this positive influence.

Malon's heart gave a flutter as she heard the cackling of two old hags; her eyes darting around for the source of the sound, she hastily brushed up against the wall of the nearest building. She had heard the laughter coming from a nearby alley; one she could still smell the stench from, it clearly had not been cleared out of the previous days' refuse. Not knowing why she felt the need to be surreptitious about her movements; she craned her neck to look down the narrow street to see Ganondorf talking to the two witches, Kotake and Koume.

"Although your assistance was warranted here, I cannot trust your loyalty to your king." Ganondorf growled at them.

"You mustn't be mad at your servants!" Kotake pleaded; although Malon could tell it was all an act.

"We were merely nudging you forward with the next phase of our plan." Koume explained briskly.

"Nearly a full orbit early!" Ganondorf snarled. "The only reason I am not killing you now is because of your usefulness to my cause." Grinding his teeth as he added, "Even still."

"How merciful of you." Kotake bowed low; doing her best to keep the mocking tone from her voice.

"Very gracious of our king to spare our lives." Koume bowed with her sister.

"Do not shut me out again; I want to know where you've been these past few weeks." Ganondorf rumbled.

Kotake and Koume looked at each other with their bulbous eyes, unsure of how best to describe their exploits. They knew that lying to him outright could turn ugly; they also knew that inviting him into their minds would reveal the bigger picture, something they also did not want. Transporting their thoughts in-between their rubies, they agreed that allowing Ganondorf access to their minds from this point onward wouldn't be detrimental to their goals.

At length, the witches faced Ganondorf once more, "Agreed. We will not hide anything from our king; if you wish to know something about what we are doing, you may ask us." Kotake offered.

"As for where we have been, we have been traveling the Nevachrean countryside in search of additional sources and books on magick to further our own knowledge." Koume spoke with a smug tone.

Within seconds, the two witches felt Ganondorf's presence slam into their brains; their knees buckled under the strain of his probing. The two witches quivered as the feelers of his mind searching through the recesses of their memories and thoughts; utilizing each other as support, they were able to erect an internal barrier that barred him from acquiring the most critical pieces of information locked within those memories.

Releasing them from the bondage of his mental assault, the two crones collapsed to their knees breathing heavily. "You need to drop this vain crusade with the Twili; their powers pale in comparison to our ultimate objective. You need to concentrate on setting the stage for Link; he should be the sole focus of our mission. If the books, scriptures and lore are to be believed, he is the only one who is capable of being chosen by the Master Sword; we have to trust to that and proceed as planned."

Unsteadily standing on her crooked legs, Kotake trilled, "What of the remainder of his friends, especially the ones who will accompany us?"

Readjusting her turban, Koume shrilled, "Are they necessary too? Do we need to string them along with what we hope to accomplish for the Gerudo?"

Ganondorf pondered on that thought for a moment before brusquely responding, "There are too many uncontrollable pieces; the more we get rid of, the better. We can then focus better on manipulating the few pawns under our control. Let's concentrate our efforts on Link, anyone else is extraneous. Deal with those we leave behind…after we depart Glaun'rung."

Malon let out a little gasp; she knew it was a mistake as soon as their eyes darted in her direction. Without hesitating, she began running back towards the inn as fast as her feet could carry her; she felt the icy hot mix of magick blast down the alley, destroying anything caught in its wake. She slammed into the shutter doors of the pub and bowled right into Impa, knocking them both to the ground in a heap.

"By Din, you look as if you've seen a ghost Malon!" Impa said smiling; gently rolling Malon off of her.

"They are planning to kill us Impa!" Malon shrieked madly, gripping Impa's blouse forcefully.

Her mirth faded instantly at Malon's allegation, "Tell me everything." She demanded urgently, helping Malon to sit next to her by the nearest table in the pub.

It was still quite early in the day and the place had not officially opened to the public; regardless Malon kept her voice to a whisper to avoid untoward ears from listening. "…and I think they are going to try something as soon as Ganondorf leaves." She huffed slightly trying to catch her breath, her heart was still racing.

Impa's gaze flickered back up the stairs to the bedrooms, "That explains their early absence."

Malon's eyes bulged, "What are you talking about?" A knot in the pit of her stomach began rising as anxiety kicked in, making her contemplate horrible scenarios.

"I am normally a light sleeper, but this morning I could not wake up easily. Given what you have just told me, I think I was bewitched." Her tone turned dark.

"I saw Epona and Fado missing too from the stables. Xavier isn't there anymore." Malon informed her apprehensively.

"So, Link, Zelda and Saria traveled northward on their own. Why?" Impa was flummoxed at the strange occurrences happening this morning and began to suspect that it wasn't just coincidence.

Giana bounded down the stairs happily as Talon leaned heavily on the bannister; seemingly waking up from a deep sleep himself. "Hi! Hi! Hi everyone!" Giana chippered; the little tyke leaped into Malon's arms before snuggling her face into her dress. "Hey big sis!"

Malon warmly embraced the little girl, giving her an emphatic kiss on the head. "Good morning, you little rascal." She smiled in spite of herself at her sister's bubbling personality; it wilted the moment she shared a look with Impa as she beheld her father struggling to awaken from his torpor.

Practically stumbling down the stairs; Impa rose and quickly closed the distance between herself and Talon. She gripped an arm and tossed it over her shoulders before assisting the strapping man toward his daughters; setting him down beside them on a bench. He blearily slurred his speech, "Wheresh Nabooru? I didn' shee her thish mornin'"

Impa's eyes looked alarmingly at Malon, "Dear Goddesses, what is going on? Why would she leave with them?"

Talon shook his head elaborately several times, as if to clear his head. "She's gone? When did she go?" His words were slowly recovering.

"Mommy's gone again?" Giana asked cheerfully, not registering the seriousness of those around her.

Ignoring her sister's question, Malon pressed fearfully, "Should we all leave now and escape? Before Ganondorf comes back?"

Impa vehemently shook her head, "No, it would do us no good. With Kotake and Koume as well as Apolloni, he has all of us outmatched; we would not survive more than a few minutes."

Giana seemed to cue in on the overall mood of her family, "Daddy? Is something wrong?" A look of worry crossed her face.

"I'm not entirely sure honey." Talon said honestly; the murkiness of his mind was finally clearing.

Impa smiled; threading Giana's hair with her fingers affectionately. "Nothing for you to be concerned with yet Giana. When the time comes, will you be willing to follow all instructions that we give you?" She spoke softly, but firmly to the child.

"Yes, ma'am!" She responded dutifully, a small crook of a smile reforming on her face.

"Hey everyone!" A cheerful voice burst from the pub entry; all eyes turned to see a hot, sweaty and sticky Merin standing with her hands on her hips. She wore a baggy pair of faded mahogany pants loosely tied at the waist with a belt; her breasts were covered with a small bandana tied tightly behind her back. It appeared she was up early this morning assisting the reconstruction efforts of the town. "Looks like everyone is finally up! When's breakfast?" She asked jauntily.

Impa's eyes creased with relief, "Good timing Merin! Breakfast is not ready yet, but would you be willing to play with Giana a bit while we prepare it?" She lifted up the wiggling Gerudo kid and set her down beside Merin.

"Would I?" Merin exclaimed in mock excitement; the girl giggled at her silliness. "I would love to accompany the most awesome girl in the world! Come on Giana! Let's see if we can go chase some rats!" After a stern look from Talon, Merin merely smiled imperturbably, "Well there is little else to chase in this town!"

With a unified cry, they went rampaging down the streets hooting the whole way. Impa eyed a dark figure heading their way and immediately turned to Talon and Malon, hissing in hushed tones. "Ganondorf is approaching. We will continue as if nothing is wrong; we will proceed forward as planned. Be alert and be vigilant." Without another word, Impa disappeared up the stairs and was gone.

Ganondorf burst through the shutters, a deep scowl splayed across his face; his eyes settled on them with contempt. "Talon, we leave tomorrow at dawn's first light. The sooner we get to Hyrule castle, the better." His commanding tone warranted no rebuke. The man merely nodded at the Gerudo king's order.

Interested in observing his reaction, Malon piped up with an acted exuberance, "Is there any way I can join you guys on this-"

"No." Ganondorf roared; startling Malon into silence. He had grown very volatile of late and was no longer appealing to be near; she couldn't quite place when his personality changed, but it couldn't have been all that long ago. What was the trigger? Giving her one final glare, he clomped up the steps in his heavy laden boots; she winced as they heard a door slam upstairs.

Puffing out a breath of reprieve, "I am gonna be honest with ya Malon. I am not lookin' forward ta traveling with that man." Talon shook his head miserably.

"Does sticking with the original plan mean I'm staying here?" Talon shot her a look. "Well?" She pouted, crossing her arms across her chest. "It's not like I can easily follow Link at this point!" She vented.

Hiding his true feelings on the matter, Talon simply smiled at her. "I'm glad that ya are actually. To tell ya the truth, I wouldn't trust either of my daughters with him." He jerked his chin in the direction of Ganondorf's room.

"What?" Malon burped lightly, trying to hold down the queasiness that was briefly scared away by Ganondorf's entrance. "You don't believe I can…" another belch, "…can take care of myself?"

Talon's brow furrowed as he saw the inevitable coming, "Is something wrong Malon? Do you need me to-?"

Covering her mouth rapidly, she dashed out of the pub sprinting as fast as she could towards the stables. She had realized she left the bucket back in the stall with Tellah. She didn't quite make it.


	62. Chapter 61 - Campfire Memories

_This chapter is sort of a reprieve of sorts from the action of the previous and post chapters after this one. A chance for some of the characters to unwind, interact and basically grow the relationships between them. I hope people like small chapters like these which don't progress the overall plot, but build on the characters themselves for later events and situations. Enjoy!_

- **CHAPTER 61 – Campfire Memories**

Nabooru's breath caught in her throat as she gazed upon the majestic building that stood before her. "What is this place?" She breathed heavily.

The four of them had traveled northwards for several moons; riding hard for hours before stopping to let Epona and Fado rest. The relentless prowling of Wolfos was a constant detractor from what was mostly a relaxing journey. Xavier was employed several times to chase the despicable beasts off; regardless of their multiple attempts at frightening them, the Wolfos always came back, lingering along the fringes of their group.

It was just that morning they broke the line of trees that commenced the forest resting at the base of the mountains north of Glaun'rung. They avoided the trailing army line, comprised of the last undying recruits, by heading eastwards for the better part of a day before turning north. Nabooru was in awe at the stately beauty of the woodland realm; being in the desert all of her life and rarely going to the Negev herself, being in the middle of trees stretching to the skies was stirring. Several times she had to be nudged roughly by Zelda when she was steering Fado off the game trails, completely absorbed in the sights and sounds of the woods.

The structure ahead of them lay in a hidden thicket surrounded by an elevated canopy rested on rising bluffs that bordered the building. The abnormal aspect of this entire construction was actually the hollowed out tree trunk that acted as a tunnel burrowing through the ring of rock that enclosed the copse; almost as if this was originally created by the hands of man.

Zelda hopped off the horse before walking towards the vine encrusted structure; having switched into travel pants and a loose fitting green tunic, she looked little different than Link. He proudly wore his Kokiri recreation that Malon so thoughtfully made for him; the only exception was the brown cloak he wore which covered his wings, which were tied tight to his back. Nabooru sported her traditional maroon Gerudo garb which V-necked down to her navel; with her dual scimitars strapped to a clasped holder hanging off her back, she looked ready for any confrontation.

"I don't know." Saria spoke, flying off of Epona. She inspected numerous statues in varying stages of decay or rubble. "But I feel no evil here…only a sense of peace." She delicately placed her hand on the cold stone of a fluted pillar.

"Good." Link said tiredly. Slipping off Epona, he unfastened his cloak, letting it drop to the ground. Undoing the knot on the rope secured around his chest, he tossed the twine to the ground with forceful purpose.

"What are you doing?" Zelda squeaked. "Aren't you supposed to hide those?"

Bending low to touch his feet, Link ignored her question as he spread his limbs out wide; stretching them as he smoothly flapped them gently. "Ah, that feels much better." Standing up to look at Zelda, he replied calmly, "True, but you try growing wings and then being forced to keep them cramped close to your body, unable to move them. Besides," he pointed up towards Saria who was still inspecting the remainder of the atrium, "if she says that it is safe here, I highly doubt I have anything to worry about."

She gave him a skeptical look, "Well, it never hurts to be cautious." She replied unsure of how else to refute his assertion.

Nabooru fastening the tethers to a nearby tree walked over to the two of them, "I for one don't mind it. I've heard from Impa how useful those are to him when he is fighting; so if we do get ambushed here, then I wouldn't want him hindered in any way. I think it's a smart tactical move."

Glancing up at Saria who seemed content with exploring the ruins from her high vantage point, he turned to Nabooru, "Thank you. I'm going to go check out the area to make sure it is safe. Will you please start a fire?" Apparating a sword into his hand, he smiled at the two women before setting off around the perimeter of the enclosure.

Zelda stared after him for a few moments before commenting uncertainly to Nabooru, "He does seem happier out here in the woods."

"Isn't this where he was born and raised? That would make sense." Nabooru plied several packs off Epona and Fado.

Shaking her head tersely, Zelda replied, "Well, not exactly here. The Kokiri probably made their home further west of here, just north of Ordon." She looked around trying to orient herself, "Which I think we're actually quite near."

"Either way, it makes sense that he would be far more comfortable out here in the woods and with animals than around other people." Nabooru established confidently; reaching into her own pack to pull out a few artifacts she would need for building the fire.

Tapping a finger to her lips, Zelda ruminated softly to herself, "What a restless spirit. Link, where do you set your stake in the sand? Where do you call home now?"

Link had already arrived at the massive archway that divided the ruined structure from a separate chamber; the lack of a ceiling made the entire enclosure feel more open than it really was. Moss and crawling vines had invaded the cracks in the underlying edifice and gave a feeling of ancient veneration. He had stepped up to the center of the smaller vestibule where a raised podium lay; no higher than his shins.

His breath caught in his throat as he kneeled down to brush off the layer of dirt from the front of the pedestal; emblazoned on the stone was an effigy of the Triforce! Suddenly looking around him with new clarity, he began noticing more marks along the crumbling walls bearing the symbol of the Triforce, enveloped with what looked like wings.

"Navi?" He exhaled wondrously, "What is this place?"

_I'm not sure; I remember being here once before in my search. All I know is that I feel at home here, it feels…serene._ Her tone was practically singing with the joy in her voice.

"I feel it too." Link stood up; gazing around him with new found reverence for the location they were to call their temporary home for the night. "Navi, I have a feeling we are going to be quite safe here."

_Agreed._ She sounded.

**-Break-**

Link slammed the carcass of the elk in front of Xavier, who was practically salivating at the prospect of tearing her meal apart. He grimaced as she hastily poked it several times with her barbed tail; thankfully it didn't balloon into a grotesque spectacle of blood boils, it would still be a few days, maybe weeks before that happened. Leaving the delighted Cyn'Taak to its meal, he strolled back to the campfire where the others had gathered, hanging out cooked meat from a previous kill earlier that day.

Zelda scrunched up her nose as she viewed Xavier slurping down the elk's intestines; with a small hiccup of bile, she politely set down the piece of meat. "Ugh…I know you like providing food for Xavier, but did it ever occur to you that she might need to learn how to hunt things for herself?" Zelda offered; eager to get her mind off eating her meal that was no longer appetizing.

Link gratefully accepted the warm meat from Nabooru before sitting down next to Zelda; unconsciously wrapping one wing behind her. "I guess you do have a point." She winced as he tore a hunk off the grilled meat; talking in-between bites of his repast, he offered, "Next time I go out to hunt," More chewing, "I'll take her with me and I'll see if I can teach her to hunt."

"Ugh…could you please at least swallow before talking?" Zelda complained, scooting a few inches away from his smacking sounds.

Saria giggled, "Oh, he's always been like that. Ever since he was still young growing up around us; he never learned manners to eat and then talk after." She crunched into a delicious apple she found previously.

"I know." Zelda moaned in despair. "I remember the many moons we tried to teach him etiquette in the castle; a lot of things took, but there were a few that just never stuck." She placed her head in her hands as if embarrassed at their failure.

"You lived in the castle before Link?" Nabooru questioned curiously; she had been sitting cross-legged beside the fire opposite the two of them.

Swallowing his bite just so he could please Zelda and keep her quiet about the issue, he answered blithely, "For a time I did." He gave an uncertain glance at Zelda before continuing, "I wasn't overly comfortable with it, but I did enjoy myself during my stay."

"You said it was stifling." Zelda interjected, looking at him directly.

"And you have a freakishly good memory." Link retorted with a smile.

Nabooru leaned forward resting her head on her arm, elbow digging into her leg, "I can understand where Link is coming from. All my life I felt I was different from the rest of the Gerudo; I didn't feel overly fond of the way Ganondorf treated us as his subjects. His methods were cruel, manipulative but somehow, always just. I couldn't wrap my head around it; there was something off about my people, about where I lived but I couldn't put my finger on it."

"Ganondorf does have a sensitive side to him." Saria blurted out.

Zelda, who had just recovered from her nausea, was about ready to take a bite of her steak. Hearing this just made her queasy all over again. "What?" She scoffed. "Next you'll tell me he spoiled you rotten and was a good listener?"

Saria nodded curtly, looking down her nose at Zelda as if insulted, "As a matter of fact he was! He liked it when I sang songs to him; his favorite was a song both Link and I shared."

Zelda's gaze swiveled to Link; his mouth open in shock, "He asked you to sing our song?" He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of Ganondorf enjoying music.

Saria beamed as she took another bite of apple; munching it between her teeth as she explained, "He was always so nice to me. He would take me on walks all the time!"

Teeth grating at Saria's chewing, "You're just as bad as he is!" She violently pointed to Link; the two of them busted up laughing, much to Zelda's vexation.

"Walks?" Nabooru cocked her head, "What did he think you were? A dog?"

"What?" Saria glared at Nabooru; the Gerudo only gave her a crooked smile.

Link waved his hand to eradicate the current line of dialogue; he could see it turning south quickly. "Enough of that." Turning to Nabooru, he resituated himself with his wings before asking the question that had been on his mind for the past moon. "Why did you come along with us in the first place?"

Realizing that Link made an excellent point, Zelda jumped in, "Yeah, it was my understanding that Impa was to be with me." She certainly felt that the Sheikah wanted to be beside her during her second reawakening; why did she feel the need say Link was a suitable replacement for her? It didn't make much sense; Link had no idea what he would be doing, let alone the purpose of it.

Nabooru sighed; she was trying to avoid the issue altogether, but knew it would be brought up one way or another. "Well, it started with a ghastly dream; I can barely remember much about it now. All I remember was dying; I saw the face of my daughter, Giana, dead." Zelda gasped as she placed a hand to her lips in sympathy for Nabooru, it sounded like a horrific dream. Nabooru pressed onward despite the reaction, "The strangest thing about the dream was black wings descending." Saria's expression grew pale at this as her wings slowed their incessant flutter.

Link shivered; his mind went instinctively to his own wings, but they were white, not black. "Do you have any inkling what it means?" He asked; the remainder of his meal completely forgotten.

Nabooru merely shook her head dismally; the memory of the dream had completely fouled her mood. "I'm afraid not. But it was the catalyst that spurred me to see if Ganondorf would be willing to change the plan and have me travel with you to find the ruby. I don't know why I felt the need to be with you Link, only that it was important that I do so. Strangely enough, he agreed without so much as an argument."

"Now that's odd." Zelda murmured.

"No it's not!" Saria chipped in. "Maybe he just saw the reasoning in the idea and went along with it?"

"Even so," Link put a hand to his chin in thought, "That doesn't explain why Impa would have chosen to stay in Glaun'rung. That threw me off as a bit weird too." He turned his face to look at Zelda. "Unless my memory is failing me, she was around you constantly; even when we never saw her. Aren't the Sheikah supposed to protect the Royal Family?"

Zelda knew it went a bit deeper than that; she was seriously hoping Impa could have accompanied her so she could find out the truth of their relationship. She simply nodded in response, "There was never a time when I was without a Sheikah watching over me. It feels weird to have her back around only to suddenly lose her again." She gazed off into the fire; her eyes going out of focus trying to see beyond it.

"That's the strange thing, I expected her to reject the idea outright; but she agreed without so much as a protest!" Nabooru exclaimed.

Zelda winced as she heard Xavier crunching on the remaining bones of the elk behind her; blocking out the sounds of the Cyn'Taak's feasting, she pondered, "That is unlike her. She is very protective of me; to so easily hand off her duties to another…" Her voice drifted off.

Licking his fingers as he finished his last bite of meat, Link casually tossed out, "Well, what's done is done. I'm sure she had her reasons that you can ask her later about. For now, I think we should focus on getting a good night's sleep and see if we can make the foothills tomorrow past these woods."

Nabooru slapped her thighs as she picked herself off the ground, "That sounds like a great idea. Anyone want the last piece?" She held out the remaining strip of steak; upon getting negative responses from the rest, she shrugged before taking it with her. "Saria, did you want to help me set up our bed rolls?" She asked, smiling at the Kokiri.

"Yeah, sure." Saria said flatly; taking one last bite of her apple. She was a bit conflicted about the whole talk with Ganondorf. She knew he was capable of accomplishing despicable deeds; but she also knew that he was also capable of being compassionate and generous. Why couldn't the rest of them see that?

Their small band had already settled into some semblance of order whenever they turned in for the night; Nabooru usually slept near Saria. The Kokiri shunned her own sleeping bag, preferring to use it as a blanket cover instead. She had grown used to sleeping with her wings and the thought of confining them inside a zipped up container of fabric seemed dangerous to her. Saria usually waited for Xavier to come lumbering over to them before settling up against the sleeping giant and falling asleep against her. The Cyn'Taak had grown extremely fond of the little Kokiri; for whatever reason, Saria seemed to have this calming effect on animals.

"Nabooru?" Saria asked suddenly as she lounged up next to Xavier who had come over to sleep beside them. Nabooru gave a small sound in her throat, indicating the Kokiri could continue. "Have you…ever wanted someone that you couldn't have?" She had no idea why she was asking this of the Gerudo; some wild flight of fancy was dancing around in her head.

"Well…there was Talon. But I don't think what you are asking applies to him. No, I don't know what you speak of." Nabooru answered. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Forget I said anything." She rolled over onto her side; facing away from Nabooru. The Gerudo stared at her a while longer, wondering if she should persist in drawing out more information from the mysterious girl; finally resolving to let the matter rest, she slipped into her roll.

Resting her head on a clawed foot of Xavier, Saria watched in silence at Link and Zelda unfurl their bedrolls a few paces away. They were initially actually eager to relive their travels along the road; regrettably, trying to share the same bag didn't quite work out the way they had hoped. They figured this out the first night after leaving Glaun'rung. Sleeping on his back was completely abysmal in practice; trying to sleep beside him when he was either on his side or stomach was a disaster as well. In the end, they opted to set up their rolls beside each other and sleep separately; which worked out just fine for Link, who seemed to thrash about a lot more often in his sleep since the sprouting of his wings.

He grumbled as he flopped over onto his other side facing Zelda. "Is something wrong?" She asked with a bemused smile.

"Yes." He growled. "I can't seem to get comfortable! The worst part is that I can't lie on my back so I can watch the stars!"

"Would you like for me to describe them to you?" Zelda offered grinning.

"Don't make fun of me." He scowled.

"I'm not!" She said defensively, "I was…okay, so maybe I was a little, but you are just too cute trying to figure out what to do with your wings."

Link flushed at her remark, "You try living your whole life without these things and all of a sudden you have to figure out how you get them to work. Half the time, it feels like I have some measure of control, the other half it seems they have a mind of their own. You know, this is all your fault Navi." He accused irritatingly.

_Don't go blaming me for this; I had a hunch this would happen but I had no control over what transpired when we joined!_ She jingled affronted.

"Whatever." He sighed; not wanting to talk anymore, he was extremely tired. Collapsing onto his stomach, he arched out his wings so that they laid flat across his back with the tips touching the cool stone underneath them. Link's body jolted as he felt a soft hand rummaging through his plumage, flipping his head around to behold Zelda smiling as she nonchalantly fondled his right wing. "Zelda, you know that feels weird." He squirmed uncomfortably.

She maintained her expression as she continued her gentle foray, "It looks weird seeing you with these; I'm honestly quite fascinated with them."

Link opened his mouth to say a witty retort, but closed it; why shouldn't he let Zelda feel them? They were friends and he trusted her implicitly; he knew she would do nothing to harm them. Deep down inside, he felt he'd be curious too if she suddenly sprouted wings; Saria even let him feel hers when she melded with Sora. So odd that something he considered so unnatural would be so fitting for her; would they ultimately become normal for him too?

At length, he responded softly, "Then keep doing that, it's actually lulling me to sleep." Her soft caresses were actually having a soporific effect on him; she looked surprised before beaming at his consent. She took both hands and began massaging the thick bone at the top of the wing where all other underlying structures draped down from.

_Now comes the most boring part of my night._ Navi sighed in Link's head.

"Why's that?" He murmured, almost asleep.

_All I get to see is the inside of your eyelids until your brain conks out._ She chimed.

"You can't sleep?" He asked.

_Not until you do._ She affirmed.

He chuckled slightly; enjoying the delicate massage Zelda was gracing him with. "That's funny Navi." He never got to hear her rebuttal before shutting her down when he finally drifted into slumber.


	63. Chapter 62 - Flight of the Children

- **CHAPTER 62 – Flight of the Children**

It had been several moons since Ganondorf left with his wretched whore of a Gerudo elder; several moons since her father left with Merin and Impa. The five of them rode out on Appa and Tellah, with one freshly minted horse Ingo struggled to summon for them; he assured that the conjuration would last at least until they reached Yolland where they could secure another horse to continue the journey northward into Hyrule.

Malon was sweating profusely wiping down the floors of the pub; it had been a good night's work and they made a decent amount of money in tips. Many of the Nevachrean citizens were quite friendly and having a pretty waitress serve them brought the crowds in. Ashley was enlisted to help bring out the plates of food alongside Malon; it was all Ingo could do to keep up with the demand. He was bustling between the kitchen and the bar trying to accommodate all the orders; Malon assisted at the bar sometimes which he graciously accepted.

Giana was hired as a sort of public entertainer for the crowd; all the customers delighted in watching her antics. The little girl twirled and danced across the bare sections of tables; in tune with the clapping of the crowd at the song she was singing. Already in the spotlight at a young age, the little Gerudo loved every minute of it. Malon would sometimes get lost just staring at her sister having fun; jostled back to reality by either Ingo or Ashley.

She dipped the rag into the water bucket before slapping it back onto the boards and cleaning off the remaining smudges by the entrance. It wasn't a bad life, she thought to herself; as much as she was upset that she couldn't go with Link and the others, she didn't mind working with Ingo. What a strange thought! For all her young life, she had this impression of Ingo that was negative in retrospect. She never imagined she'd be working alongside him and not hating him for it.

Having a family mellowed his temperament considerably; he was still gruff around Ashley due to his involvement in the death of his wife and child. Malon wondered if he would ever forgive the mute boy for his transgressions. However Ingo was always nice to her and Giana; she wondered if he ever wanted girls during his time with Orauna. The man had taken an especially joyful liking to Giana. That little girl could brighten his face no matter if she was doing something horribly naughty.

She groaned inwardly as she felt the rising surge of nausea perpetrate up her torso; hastily grabbing the bucket of soapy water, she vacated the contents of her stomach into it. "Ugh. Why is this not going away?!" She fumed to herself aloud.

"Looks like you'll have to clean that bucket out and refill it with more water before you finish your job." Ingo said grumpily behind her; his arms crossed as he glared down at her.

Quickly wiping her mouth, she rebutted, "It's not my fault! I don't know what is going on with me! I think I'm sick."

"You are sick alright!" Ingo agreed roughly. Shooing her out of the pub to dump the pail, he continued his rant, "Carrying on with Link like you did, not even properly married. It is a disgrace; if you were my kid, I would have that boy barred from ever seeing you again!"

"I'm certainly glad I'm not then." She smiled at his displeasure at her relationship with Link. Turning to the side of the building, she dumped the bucket contents in the designated refuse pile.

Ingo huffed at her cheek, "Well, in that case, I hope you are afflicted with this for months to come. Not even willing to listen to common sense!"

Ignoring his bluster, she spoke softly to herself, "Not that I think about it, he might as well have barred me from Link by sending him away early." Malon had suspected her father has some play in the fact Link left without even saying goodbye.

"Good riddance then! Better fix the indecent problem late than never; that man was always lazy in everything he did. Procrastinator to the extreme! Now I have to deal with another mouth to feed soon." Ingo blurted angrily.

Malon had meant to defend her father when she cued in on Ingo's last statement, "Another mouth? What do you mean?" She faced him fully; bucket held beneath her arm.

Ingo glowered at her as he flicked his eyes in her direction, "Are you really that daft? You are pregnant Malon and Link is the father!"

The bucket clattered to the dirt as the enormity of the news sank in; it all made perfect sense. She wasn't sick at all; she was pregnant! She was such a fool for being with Link that way without some sort of protection. Mentally kicking herself for not asking Merin to assist her in crafting the special herbal tea all Gerudo drink to prevent conception; she placed a hand to her belly, realizing it was now too late to stem the inevitable.

"Glad you just got that figured out." Ingo sneered. He didn't mean to be nasty to her; but simply gazing upon her visage reminded him of Talon and all the injustices he had done to him. Although they made peace with each other, there was always a lingering resentment there. "Are you quite done with your reverie so that we can finally finish up cleaning?" He nodded his head to the fallen pail.

She numbly acknowledged his order and picked up the bucket; they refilled it with water from the cistern, swirled it around with soap sheets before returning to the inn to finish the night's chores. Malon yelped as she bursted in on a Zora who was making her way out of the pub.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss! I didn't mean to startle you!" The Zora female was quite kind and had been their cook for the past moon. Her specific tastes in food made their way into the dishes she created; it caused quite a sensation with the local populace and multitudes of customers roved in tonight to taste her culinary masterpieces.

Malon scrunched her nose at the obtrusive woman, "It's okay. I didn't see you there."

With a quick apology and a bow, the Zora left them as she walked down the street to join her brethren who were all leaving for the night to soak their bodies in water in preparation for the next day on land.

Link had mentioned that Zoras were coming to help rebuild the capital of Glaun'rung; but she never quite made the connection between what they were and the name. Memories of the only Zora she had met back in the Negev haunted her dreams; it seemed like ages ago that nightmare occurred. She didn't really like to stereotype the cook into the same batch of Zoras she envisioned in her head; ones that would assault and hurt Link. However she couldn't help but feel some sense of animosity towards their race.

"Why are they here again?" Malon questioned carelessly, her gaze still on the retreating Zora.

Sensing the hostility in her tone, Ingo merely answered blithely, "They are here to help us rebuild. I think it is a great and honorable thing for them to do. It will help secure ties with Nevachrea once Hyrule is reclaimed again."

"I wonder if that will ever happen." Malon said incredulously.

Ingo swore an oath as they entered the pub and smacked into Ashley who was attempting to put away the brooms. "What in blazes are you getting in my way for?" Ingo roared as he cuffed Ashley across the back of the head.

The boy scowled at Ingo before bending over to pick up the fallen cleaning supplies; without a sound, he swept past the two of them and placed the brooms in the closet just off the side of the bar. "You really shouldn't be so mean to him Ingo. He is only trying to help." Malon tried to defend Ashley; although she had to admit his disposition had grown sour since Merin left.

"Yeah," Ingo spat, "helping murderers to kill my family." Without uttering another word, he stomped up the stairs grumbling about some things he had to attend to before heading home for the night. She wondered what set him off this night, he was unusually bitter; not to say he wasn't disagreeable most of the time, but tonight it seemed he was more so.

Malon walked over to the sulking boy and ruffled his brown hair lightly, "It's okay buddy, I'm on your side." Ashley gave her a weak smile as they looked on the pub; it was remarkably clean after their last batch of clientele. "We did a good job, didn't we? I don't think anyone will notice that I didn't finish my chore tonight."

They looked at each other and grinned at her defiance of Ingo's demands; they weren't overly happy about the man being placed in charge of their welfare as the rest left to accomplish great things. He was a bit demanding and expected perfection in a lot of things, something neither one of them was all that eager to fulfill.

Placing an arm around his shoulder, she was surprised when Ashley leaned his head into her. Unsure of what else to do, she stood there holding him as he silently enjoyed her presence and warmth. At length, they separated; giving her one last smile, he turned and walked back up to his room. Ingo had given them free room and board in the inn as long as they worked each day to upkeep the place and serve patrons.

One final look around to ensure that everything was in order, Malon headed up the steps to her shared room with Giana. When Nabooru and Talon had left, it was understood that Giana should not be sleeping by herself in her room; her sister wouldn't have had it any other way, practically begging Malon to sleep next to her. After enduring much earache from her incessant pleading, she made a big show of giving in to the demanding tyke.

Quietly opening the door to their room, she chuckled softly at her little sister. Giana had wrapped the covers around herself from her thrashing during sleep; she was currently spread eagle on the bed with the blanket curled around her petite form. Shaking her head at the rambunctious nature of Giana's sleeping patterns; Malon began changing into her ivory nightgown. The girl instinctively curled up next to Malon as she slipped in beside her; by an unspoken pact, the two of them cuddled together under the blankets.

Malon stared out the window for a time, watching the rising moon travel up the sky. She was on the edge of slumber when a peculiar detail disconcerted her senses and dragged Malon from her lethargy. The breath from her mouth was visible; it was then she realized how chill the air had become. Quickly rising from the bed alert, she gazed around the room but saw nothing amiss. She knew it was going to be winter soon but didn't remember the nights being this cold yet.

A loud crack downstairs jolted Giana from her sleep, "Huh? Wazzat?" The girl asked sleepily.

Deep, grinding cracks were echoing throughout the structure; with an alarmed realization, Malon leaped out of the bed and threw on some loose fitting day clothes. "Giana, wake up!" She cried frantically, "Get your breeches and shirt on! We need to leave now!"

Giana squeaked as she was half naked from changing when their door busted in, Ashley looked in on the two of them. "You heard it too?" Malon asked; the boy nodded curtly. He already seemed ready to go, his bow slung over his shoulder with a quiver of poisoned arrows at his back.

They all jumped as another loud clap rumbled through the inn; Malon rapidly helped Giana get the remainder of her clothes and boots on before sprinting out into the hall. The chill in the air was almost intolerable; she could see parts of the wood along the edges turning blue. She placed her hands on the discolored boards and drew back in shock; the structure was turning into solid ice! Glancing down the hall, she could see that the entire corridor was freezing at an abnormal rate.

"Did you see Ingo anywhere?" Malon asked urgently. Ashley shook his head; the last he had seen of him was walking back out of the inn to retire in Francis' old home.

"Malon? Why is it so cold?" Giana spoke, her teeth chattering.

Pricking her ears up trying to listen carefully to the wind blowing in from the outside; she could just barely make out a small hint of chanting. "Not good." Malon spoke quickly.

Seizing Giana firmly by the hand, she dashed down the stairs with Ashley shadowing closely behind. Her foot slipped on the bottom step; swinging up in the air, she landed with a thud. She cried out as her hip ached something fierce from the fall. Gripping the icy bannister she attempted to bring herself back onto her feet; with Ashley's help they managed. The entire floor was quickly becoming solid ice, making it near impossible to keep a stable footing.

The three of them stumbled outside, relishing the warm air that flooded their lungs. Hearing a cackling from above, Malon jerked her head to view Kotake and Koume hovering just above the building. Kotake was busying murmuring in an unknown tongue, slowly freezing the entire structure.

"Ho ho ho, we were being merciful; allowing you to fall asleep to an eternal slumber in ice. Now things get complicated." She smacked her sister which joggled her out of her incantation.

"What?" Kotake crowed annoyed. Looking down at the trio, sister vehemently pointing at them, her scowl turned into a leer. "He he he, well this got interesting Koume. It appears the chase is on then?"

"Run!" Malon screamed.

Picking up her screaming sister in her arms, Malon dashed across the street into the nearest alley. A raging fireball smashed into the adjacent building setting it ablaze. Ashley ducked into a nearby doorway before firing off an arrow; the witches chortled at his impotence, deflecting his arrow easily. Frowning at this snag to his original plan, he decided it best to trail after the two girls and protect them.

"You can't run forever my sweetie!" Kotake sniggered as she blasted the entire backstreet with freezing shards of ice.

Koume surged up and over the rooftops as she tracked the running Malon; cueing in on the panicked screaming of the little girl. "Watch your head! Things are just about to heat up!" Koume tittered before raining down a hail of fireballs at them; demolishing carts, stands and exploding a nearby shack.

The two witches decided to split the difference; Kotake pursued the young boy while Koume stalked the two girls down the myriad of alleyways. It became quite clear to the populace that something was amiss; any unfortunate souls who poked their heads out of their windows or stepped outside were treated to the witches' magick, killing them on the spot.

Malon ran screaming down the confusing maze of streets, "Please! Anyone! Someone help us!" The hysteria in her voice was evident as she ducked into the nearest walkway, narrowly avoiding an immolating blast from the vile crone.

Ashley had leaped to the upper levels of the city buildings and vaulted himself onto the rooftops. Within seconds he was taking aim at Kotake who was gleefully cackling at what she assumed would be easy prey. The hag raised her hand high in triumph; swirls of frosty magick formulating around her palm. His arrow rang true and ripped through her hand effortlessly.

"What in the name of Din?" Kotake looked disbelievingly at her arm which was beginning to swell with boils. She clutched her hand firmly, concentrating intensively on stemming the tide of the poison. "Koume! Help your sister!" She cried into the wind.

Sensing the insistence in Kotake's voice, Koume broke off the attack and sailed back to her sister. "What did that little demon do to you?" She exclaimed bewildered at the carbuncled arm.

Angrily throwing a blast of flame down at the audacious boy, she turned to assist Kotake. Ashley deftly rolled out of the way of the destructive flames and landed gracefully on the dirt street. Looking up at his handiwork, he smirked before running after the last location he remembered hearing Malon screaming.

"What is happening to me?" Kotake sniveled; her magick failing at preventing the inevitable.

Drawing out the energies from her, Koume confirmed her worst suspicions, "The boy has poisoned you with that arrow!" Snapping the shaft in two, she pulled the remaining end out of Kotake's palm. Watching despairingly at the encroaching boils that ran up the arm, Koume wailed, "We have to combine sister. There seems to be no other way to remove this toxin!"

Nodding her head in agreement, Kotake gritted her teeth, "Let's do it."

Ignoring the glowing fusion of light above them, Malon ran across the plaza. She had just about given up hope when she heard the snort of a horse; turning around she saw a black stallion earnestly pawing its hoof on the ground. She looked around for her benefactor and noticed Ingo slumped on the side of the ruined fountain; he had run back to investigate the commotion and had come across them.

"Go…take Ashley with you and leave without me." His breathing was ragged and sallow; apparating a second horse took its toll on his inner spirit. Seeing the concern on her face, he waved his hand violently, "Just go!"

Ashley caught up with them; his eyes locked onto Ingo's before he bowed in acknowledgement of what he had done for them. Ingo merely grunted in derisive mirth, not wanting thanks from one of the murderers of his family, he looked away towards the newly formed witches. Without a word, Ashley sprang up onto the horse behind Malon and Giana; not waiting for permission, he yanked the reins from Malon's hands and kicked the horse into a swift sprint. Giana looked back at Ingo with tears in her eyes.

"Just where do you think you are going?" A singular voice crooned behind them. Ashley gazed back briefly to see a beautifully formed woman enveloped in a black, armored corset; legs covered in billowing ivory fabric, complete with maroon tipped thigh-high boots. Clasped in each bare arm was a broom; its wicker either solid ice or roving conflagrations. The most unnerving sight of this figure was the multi-colored jewel emblazoned on her head; her hair extending outward in two distinct ponytails, one of fire and one of ice.

Giana shrieked as she viewed the raging death blustering out from the end of each magicked broom. Malon encircled her sister tightly; tightening her grip on the horse with her legs as Ashley jerked the black steed in a hairpin turn down the nearest street. The sorceress glided easily over them before blocking their path. Veering the horse up onto its hind legs, Ashley attempted to turn the horse around. His eyes lit up in misery when he realized he wouldn't escape the street in time.

"Now our fun, little game of hide and seek ends here!" The woman sneered; raising her carbuncled arm to point her broom of frost at them. "I feel like taking a trophy home with us; you would look a lot better as a statue!"

Ashley winced fearing the worst as a screech reverberated up the walls of the buildings around them; gingerly opening his eyes, he saw a trident jutted out from the stomach of the sorceress, droplets of red slowly curling around its shaft. Enraged at her attacker, the woman swiveled on the spot and vaporized the hapless Zora holding the weapon.

Malon gasped in confused relief as multitude of Zoras emerged from the shadows; each armed to the teeth and closing in on the despicable witch. The nearest Zora waved his arm absently as he kept his eyes on the dangerous woman, "Go! We will handle this!"

Silently thanking the assistance of the Zoras, they brought the horse around and made way for the front entrance of Glaun'rung. Malon wept bitterly as she could hear the agonizing screams of the Zoras as they were incinerated or worse. Bursting out onto the open plains, they blazed a swift trail across the grass towards the nearest tree line. Her heart plummeted as realization sank in, what were they to do now? Where would they go?


End file.
